The Israel Immersion: UC Berkeley Students Pursue Summer Internships Abroad in Israel

By Sydney Hilbush

Every summer, Onward Israel takes groups of Jewish students from around the country to Israel to immerse themselves in Jewish culture while pursuing an internship of their choice. This past summer, UC Berkeley students participated in the Bay Area Onward Israel program, traveling to Israel for two months, living in Tel Aviv, and pursuing internships related to their respective fields of interest.

During the summer, Onward Israel often takes a "hands off approach to immersion," as multiple students recounted. As a result of this freedom, students on the program often spent the weekends exploring the country by traveling to different cities and renting AirBnBs to experience Israel to the fullest extent of their ability. Weekend trips included visiting the Dead Sea, Haifa, Eilat, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Rosh Hanikra, and the Sea of Galilee, among other places.

Students from the program submitted photos to us from their summer abroad.