Please see below for frequently asked questions about the March of the Living. To return to the main mission page, click here.
Looking to broaden your horizons and discover Jewish culture around the globe? The Jewish Federation provides highly curated experiences with exclusive access to private briefings with high-ranking officials, introductions to local community members, and the chance to experience first-hand what the Jewish Federation and our global partners are doing to meet the challenges Jews are facing around the world. Designed for the most immersive cultural journey, you can travel as part of a shared interest group or with the larger community.
Whether you are passionate about social justice, community-building or the investment of a secure Jewish future, our immersive missions provide a unique sense of purpose. Missions can range from group travel, to community celebrations to emergency relief aid during times of crisis.
Leave everything to us! Your day-to-day activities, travel logistics, accommodations and most meals will be taken care of by our experienced and dedicated mission staff.
Tuesday, April 22 – Monday, April 28
Official programming begins in Poland on Tuesday, April 22 and ends in Israel on Monday, April 28 at 9:00 p.m.
Flight Information:
The cost of flights from the U.S. to Poland and Israel to the U.S. are not included in the mission cost. Each participant is responsible for making their own flight arrangements from Philadelphia to Poland and Israel back to Philadelphia. Only the flight from Poland to Israel is included in the mission cost. We recommend that you make your flight arrangements through our flight concierge service, Luis Sole with Frosch Travel at luis.sole@frosch.com.
[NEWARK, NJ TO KRAKOW, POLAND]
LUFTHANSA LH403
Departing: NEWARK, NJ MONDAY, APRIL 21 6:00 PM
Arriving: FRANKFURT, GERMANY TUESDAY, APRIL 22 7:30 AM
LUFTHANSA LH362
Departing: FRANKFURT, GERMANY TUESDAY, APRIL 22 8:55AM
Arriving: KRAKOW, POLAND 10:30AM
[TEL AVIV, ISRAEL TO NEWARK, NJ]
EL AL LY 027
Departing: TEL AVIV, TUESDAY, APRIL 29 12:30AM
Arriving: NEWARK, NJ TUESDAY, APRIL 29 5:15 AM
Starting August 2024, all international travelers to Israel will be required to have a permit or visa for entry. Travelers with passports from North America, Europe, or numerous other countries, can obtain the visa online here, using a quick and simple process.
The new visa, known as ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization), is an online authorization system designed to simplify the entry process to Israel. Upon arriving in Israel, ETA-IL holders will be able to use the electronic check-in machines previously available only to Israeli citizens and residents to complete their entry process.
Here are some key details:
How to Apply:
- Applications can be submitted online starting June 1 for US and German citizens and starting July 1 for other countries.
- The new visa is called ETA-IL.
- The process is quick and simple, taking only a few minutes. Apply online here.
- A fee of 25 NIS (about $7 USD) applies, but it will be free until August 1.
Required Information for Application:
- Personal information
- Email address
- Travel information
- Passport details
- Recent photo upload
Application Timeline:
June 2024: US and German citizens can begin applying as part of a pilot phase, with no application fee.
July 2024: Citizens from all other countries can start applying.
Processing Time:
- Applicants will usually receive a response within 72 hours.
Permit Details:
- The permit will be valid for two years.
- Travelers can stay in Israel for up to 90 days at a time.
Exemptions:
- Those with valid long-term stay visas for Israel do not need to apply for ETA-IL visas.
- Holders of an Israeli passport or Israeli ID card are also exempt.
Additional Information:
- For more information and to apply, visit https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/
- For technical assistance, contact: eta@piba.gov.il
Passports must be valid at least six months beyond your return date.
3 nights in Jerusalem: Orient Jerusalem (5 star hotel)
3 nights in Krakow: Holiday Inn Krakow (5 star hotel)
Cost (land only):
- $6,500 – Double Occupancy
- $8,000 – Single Occupancy
- We are thrilled to offer a $500 discount for first-time Jewish Federation mission participants. There is limited availability. You can indicate your interest in this discount during registration. If you qualify, your discount will be reflected in your second payment.
This includes:
- 3 nights in Jerusalem: Orient Jerusalem (5 star hotel)
- 3 nights in Krakow: Holiday Inn Krakow (5 star hotel)
- Most meals
- All entrance, processing fees and gratuities
- Flight from Poland to Israel
- Full-time security detail
- Luxury, air-conditioned coach bus (includes refreshments, water and bathroom)
- Commemorative March of the Living jacket
- Opportunity to learn from a world-class tour guide
Payment Policy
- Half of the deposit, including a $500 non-refundable payment, is to be paid upon the participant’s registration for the Mission. Payment of this deposit will be required to secure an individual’s place and participation in the Mission.
- A payment of the remaining balance for the Mission’s programming fee is due by Monday, February 3, 2025. You will need to fill out a separate form that will be emailed to you to pay the remaining balance.
- Mission participants are strongly encouraged to purchase, at their expense, the level of travel insurance they feel comfortable buying.
Refund Policy
- On or before Monday, September 30, 2024: receive reimbursement with the exception of the $500 non-refundable deposit made during registration.
- Between Thursday, October 10, 2024 and Sunday, February 2, 2025: receive a 50% refund, excluding the $500 non-refundable deposit.
- On or after Monday, February 3, 2025: No refunds.
- Cancellations must be submitted in writing by emailing Erica N. Miller at erica.miller@jewishphilly.org and Doreen Bason at dbason@jewishphilly.org.
You can pay your remaining balance by clicking here.
Please know that your remaining balance is due by February 3, 2025.
All mission participants will be expected to make a household gift of at least $5,000 to the Jewish Federation’s 2025 Annual Campaign.
To ensure travel peace of mind, we strongly encourage mission participants to purchase travel insurance. While we will do our best to secure refunds from any vendor who has been paid, we cannot guarantee the amount that will be returned. Please refer to the question below “Is trip insurance required?” for more information.
In the event of cancellation of the Mission by the Jewish Federation due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, fees paid towards registration and prepaid other fees will be refunded to the extent we receive refunds from our vendors and suppliers
Please visit the CDC website and the U.S. Department of State website for their latest travel policies.
You can register for the mission by clicking here.
Trip insurance is not required, but we strongly encourage mission participants to purchase the level of travel insurance they feel comfortable will provide them with travel peace of mind.
Here are some trip insurance companies that we are aware of:
Allianz Travel Insurance: www.allianztravelinsurance.com
Travelex Insurance: www.travelexinsurance.com
Arch RoamRight: www.roamright.com
Covac Global: www.covacglobal.com
You will receive an email from Doreen Bason (dbason@jewishphilly.org) with a Virtru link, which we require you to use to protect your sensitive and confidential personally identifiable information (PII). The Virtru link will take you to a secure portal for you to provide the following required sensitive information for this mission:
- date of birth
- passport number
- passport issue date
- passport expiration date
- passport photo
You can also provide your global entry or trusted traveler number, if you have one.
Once you open the Virtru link, you will validate your email address. Please ensure that any sensitive information you input and upload are in the “encrypted message” and “files” section that is located beneath the text that says “all text and files below this line will be encrypted.”
There is an unencrypted section, located at the top of the form, where you can add a message to Doreen Bason, explaining that your mission documents are included in the secure section.
We ask that you do not customize any of the security settings. Once you have included all of the necessary information, click “share” to send the information to Doreen Bason.
If you have any questions, please contact Doreen Bason at dbason@jewishphilly.org.
Please see below for an example:
To see the Jewish Federation’s privacy policy, click here.
In the event that the mission meets capacity, we will open a waitlist. To ensure your spot on the mission, we recommend you register as soon as possible.
If you have any questions about the March of the Living, please contact Erica N. Miller, Missions Manager, at erica.miller@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0629.
If registering for a double occupancy, please add the name of the person you want to room with when prompted during registration. If this is not done or the person listed does not register in time, we are unable to guarantee double occupancy. If you do not list a roommate during registration or that person does not register for the mission, you may be charged the single occupancy rate.
Do you want to extend your mission to observe Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day) in Israel? We will be planning a mission extension with a departure date back to the U.S. on Friday, May 2.
An optional extension coincides with the national holidays of Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day). Together, we’ll observe the national siren where the entire country stands in honor of those lost, and we’ll experience the authentic joy of celebrating Israeli independence, dancing in the streets.
In order to plan a mission extension, we must have a minimum of 25 participants. Please express your interest when prompt during registration.
If you would like to extend your time in Israel as individual, and not as part of our Jewish Federation mission, we will gladly connect you with a travel provider who can assist you with your arrangements.
The safety of our mission participants is of the utmost importance. We are in coordination with the Jewish Federations of North America’s security team. We will have a full-time security personnel on the mission.
Our mission will be closely monitored each and every day. We ask that you do not deviate from the itinerary or go anywhere alone so that we can ensure your safety.
You will receive a full security briefing prior to the mission and updates while you are traveling as necessary.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is working with March of the Living International on a customized travel experience for our local community.
The International March of the Living is an annual educational program, bringing individuals from around the world to Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred.
Since its inception in 1988, more than 300,000 alumni from 50 countries have marched down the same 3-kilometer path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day – Yom Hashoah – as a tribute to all victims of the Holocaust.
The March of the Living is joined every year by thousands of Jewish teens, adults and survivors from around the world, along with many other people from diverse faiths and backgrounds.
A key element of the program is the unique participation of Holocaust survivors. By being able to hear survivors stories in the very places where they unfolded, is an experience of a lifetime to remember the past and ensure the future. The years approaching are some of the last that survivors will be able to join us, making participation in this trip more timely and relevant than ever before. Our participants will become the living testimony for future generations. You can learn more by clicking here.
If you have any questions about the March of the Living, please contact Erica N. Miller, Missions Manager, at erica.miller@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0629.