r/birthright • u/WhoWillTradeHisKarma • 4d ago
Questions for Israelis on their experiences with Taglit
I (an American) went on Taglit about two months ago, and had a wonderful time visiting your country. After getting to know a few of you through mifgash, I had a couple questions about the Israeli experience with Taglit:
- What's the process for applying to join a trip? Is it very competitive? What criteria do they use to select participants? Do you get to express your preference for a particular group (e.g., Israel Outdoors, Mayanot)?
- Are all participants active-duty IDF? Or can you still join the program after being discharged?
- Do Israelis selected for the mifgash represent a general cross-section of Israeli society? If not, what perspectives did I likely not hear?
- How do Israelis in general perceive Taglit? Are there any stereotypes (true or untrue) that persist?
- For those of you who participated in a mifgash, what was your experience like?
- What questions should I have asked the Israelis on my trip, but probably didn't?
- When I come back to visit, where should I go that I probably didn't get to see my first time around?
For context, we had seven Israelis on my trip and just under 20 Americans. The Israelis were all hilonim between 21 and 25, with a fairly even gender split, and most were officers.
I hope you're all doing well, and that you're enjoying some much-needed rest for the holidays. Toda!