Preparing Students for Their Time in Israel

The Community Fund for Israel Experiences (CFIE) is a scholarship that provides limited merit and need-based scholarships to high-school and first year post-high school students who are residents of Baltimore City/County to experience Israel on a deeper level.

JES is proud to administer CFIE on behalf of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Federation of Baltimore. The goal of CFIE is to help as many students as possible travel to Israel and include Israel as part of their Jewish identities. It’s been proven time and time again that visiting Israel has a real impact. When students walk the streets of Jerusalem, hike the land, meet Israelis, and experience Jewish life up close, something changes. They don’t just learn about Israel they feel connected to it. For many, it’s a turning point that shapes how they see their identity for years to come.

For the past three years grant recipients are required to take part in at least one “Israel Seminar” in order to best prepare them for their year in Israel. These seminars, taking place on Zoom, offer the students a variety of lenses through which they can learn and experience Israel, bringing in talented speakers from the US, Israel and even the United Kingdom. We create thought provoking opportunities for our students, creating discussion that they might encounter living in Israel for a year and ensure there are options that allow our students to not only choose the topic they find most interesting, but also one they feel comfortable with and ready to explore.

The seminars this year included:

Meeting the Israeli: Israel as a Tapestry of People. A session that offered a closer look at the diverse communities that make up Israeli society, while also getting knowledge and tips on special new holidays associated with the different Jewish cultures they should look out for like the Mimouna or Sigd and must-visit synagogues in Jerusalem.

Israel 2025: Asking the Hard Questions. A bold and thoughtful session offering a safe space to have a conversation about the future of Israel and the social, political, and ethical questions shaping it today, while being exposed to both side of the same argument.

From Pikesville to the IDF: The Story of a Lone Soldier. A session that offered three moving personal stories, shared in partnership with Friends of the IDF (FIDF). Two Baltimoreans and a grandson of one shared their personal connection to Israel and the IDF, with one of the panelists sharing about his journey from Baltimore to Yeshiva to serving in the Israeli army and building a home with his family in Israel, serving hundreds of days in reserves.

These seminars are just one part of what makes CFIE more than just a scholarship; it’s a gateway to meaningful connection, personal growth, and lasting Jewish identity. At JES, we believe that preparing students for their time in Israel is just as important as getting them there.

We’re proud to be part of that journey, and we can’t wait to see where it leads.