One of the effects of the massacre on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 and the war with Iran in 2025, has been the cancellation of trips to Israel, leading American Jewish youth to pivot to what are known as alternative trips, visiting Jewish communities and historical sites in the diaspora. As a professional in the Jewish travel space, I have seen the disappointment of cancelled Israel trips and the devaluation of diaspora travel. I understand this sentiment first-hand. I made Aliyah in 2024, because no place in the world feels like Israel, where being Jewish is being free. I strongly believe in the opportunity for Jewish youth in the U.S. to visit Israel and strengthen that bond.

At the same time, I strongly believe in the importance of Jewish youth to travel outside of Israel because of how it shapes Jewish identity alongside Israel travel. It is time we stop treating travel to countries outside of Israel as the sideline to our story as........

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