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Explore. Encounter. Engage.

Explore the places you won’t read about online. Encounter people of different religious, cultural, and social backgrounds. Engage in meaningful conversations about equality and justice, peace and coexistence.

about us

About Dror Israel On The Ground

Dror Israel On the Ground curates unique experiences to bring participants up close with the complex issues facing Israeli society. Our guides are educators and activists living and working in the communities we tour, introducing participants to friends and neighbors who provide a window into the realities of life in a mixed society.

 

We ask participants to open their eyes, ears, and minds to the real people, places, and experiences. To explore their own values in the face of difficult choices. To converse openly and honestly. We provide encounters for groups of teens through young adults, which get participants off the tour bus and into real communities, to deepen their understanding of and connection to Israel.

 

We offer select programs online, impactful experiences that engage people who would otherwise not be able to be in the same room.

As part of Dror Israel, we are mission-driven, committed to educating for a just and equal Israel. We impart ideas, dilemmas, and questions, not just facts. We present Israeli society as it really is “on the ground” and challenge participants to think about how it could be even better.

Dror Israel On The Ground  is not just Israel Education; it’s Israel SOCIETY Education.

Who We Work With

Birthright Israel, Israel Experience, Masa, Onward, The Jewish Agency, Young Judaea, and others.  Plus, we create custom encounters for schools, synagogues, youth movements, college groups, and Federations.

Explore, Encounter, Engage

with Dror Israel On The Ground

 

Unique “On the Ground” Interactions

Encountering Israel’s diverse neighborhoods, guided by the people who live there. We invite participants into our own communities to get up close and personal with the challenges Israelis face every day.

 

Our Guides are Educators, Social Justice Activists, Experienced in Immersive Education

We are more than tour guides. We are trained educators, experts at engaging groups in informal settings. Our encounters are “safe spaces” where participants can ask difficult questions about politics, religious tensions, and social and economic inequalities, or just talk about everyday life in Israel.

 

Tours available in Urban Kibbutzim in diverse communities of: Afula, Akko, Ashkelon, Be'er Sheva, Eshbal (Lower Galilee), Haifa, Jerusalem, Karmiel, Mitzpe Ramon, Petah Tikva, Ravid (Upper Galilee), Rehovot, Rishon LeZion , Sderot, Tel Aviv, Tiberias.

our programs

Take One of Our Pre-planned Tours or Create Your Own

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Engage in thematic programs and unique hands-on experiences 

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Experience diverse communities in the periphery 

At Dror Israel On The Ground, we understand that our existing tours may not align with your agenda or schedule. We are happy to work with you to develop a customized tour.

For more information about program content and pricing, please contact Chagit at ontheground@drorisrael.org.il

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Before I came on these tours, I wondered 'Who is right?' My parents have one opinion and my friends on campus have other opinions. However, after meeting the people who live and work in these communities, I understand that it's more complicated. I can form my own opinions based on the actual people who live their everyday lives with these challenges.

 

Lila, 20, Los Angeles, California, Taglit participant

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As Dror Israel members and educators, all On The Ground guides share a vision for Israel of a just and equal society.

 

We are trained educators, with degrees in immersive education and extensive training in experiential education. Active in many different social change initiatives, we are experienced group leaders and facilitate complex conversations on a wide range of subjects.

meet the guides

We also provide expert speakers who focus on specific themes and social issues.

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Zohar Avigdori

LGBTQ+ Community and Israeli Drag Scene

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Sophia Blumenthal

The History of Hebrew - a Language for a People Re-Born

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Yuval Hod

Peace and Civil Resilience on the Gaza Border

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Amir Brown

How I Started a Hi-Tech Workers Union: Labor and Social Justice in the 21st Century

Contact

Thank you!

We'd love to hear from you!

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Chagit Shvarzman

Executive Director

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Yotam Marck

Finance and Operations

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Hannah Faber

Head Counselor 

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