Shalom Friends,

Let me start by saying that the safety of our participants is the primary factor in our trip planning.

I was born and raised in Israel. As the father of two daughters and a new grandfather, I understand the importance of taking proper precautions in the face of life's uncertainties. I treat participants of Oranim programs as I would members of my own family, visiting only those places where I would feel comfortable taking my daughters. Under no circumstances will I sanction entering any parts of the country that pose a risk to the security of our participants and staff. As the leader in Jewish travel, I have pledged to meet and exceed the highest security standards and strictest safety requirements of any tour operator.

We at Oranim take pride in the fact that we have provided safe and meaningful experiences in Israel for thousands of teens, students and young professionals worldwide.

In addition, my entire team and I are Israelis. Many of us are native Israelis, while others, inspired by their love for Israel, have embraced this land as their home. Since we live here, day in, day out, we are especially sensitive to security issues. Oranim constantly reviews and updates all safety procedures and, by utilizing state-of-the-art technology, implements the most stringent security measures throughout the duration of every program.

We take the following precautions:

• Oranim Educational Initiatives operates a 24-hour hotline for participants and parents.
• The group is accessible 24/7 by cellular phone.
• Every participant receives a card with contact numbers in case of an emergency.
• Medical Insurance is provided for participants while in Europe and Israel (Please check our website for coverage details).
• Participants are under constant care and supervision of our trained, professional staff; or our carefully chosen host families.
• Our programs are meticulously structured and include contingency planning so that changes in the itinerary for security reasons can be carried out without hesitation.

While in Israel:

• We neither enter nor approach territories administered by the Palestinian Authority or the Gaza Strip.
• An armed, medic accompanies the group at all times.
• No public transportation is utilized at any time during the program.
• Oranim is provided with real-time security information from the Coordination Room of the SPNI, which receives its data from the Military, Police and Security Authorities.
• All security arrangements meet or exceed the standards set by the Israeli Ministry of Education for touring by Israeli students.

Rest assured that we at Oranim consider the safety of our participants paramount. Please feel free to contact me if you have specific security related questions or concerns of any sort. I will be happy to personally take your call and address these questions or concerns.

Shalom!

Shlomo (Momo) Lifshitz
Founder and President Oranim
Educational Initiatives