The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh increased the value of Israel scholarships from $1,750 to $2,200 according to Debbie Swartz, manager of Israel scholarships for the Federation. Money will also be available for a third qualifying trip to Israel; previously, the rules limited participants to two trips.

“The value of these scholarships has not increased for many years and has not kept up with inflation,” said Aviva Rosenberg, Chair of the Israel Scholarship Committee for the Jewish Federation. “If we want to encourage young people to make a lifelong connection to Israel, travel remains one of the most powerful ways to do so. The scholarships should reflect the current costs.”

The new, higher dollar amount for Israel scholarships will be available immediately. The deadline to apply for Israel travel scholarships is April 30, 2019. Anyone who applied for and received an Israel scholarship after July 1, 2018 will also receive this higher amount retroactively.