Authentic Israel

I went to Israel because it needed help. Authentic Israel made it easy to have an impact. Easy transportation was provided to places where extra hands were needed and guides and staff provided expert guidance. Hotels and food were above average. Evening programs added important knowledge. Authentic Israel is a must for anyone wanting more than a tourist visit... but to help Israel.

We went on one of the first volunteer trips in January. It was amazing!!!! Such a fulfilling experience.

Overall, we were very happy with the tour and would definitely recommend it to others. Note - we took the 7 day trip in May. First, Toby, the contact person in the U.S. was great under trying circumstances. You always responded quickly and answered all our questions. Our tour guide Idan was wonderful - very knowledgeable, organized and patient. Everything ran very smoothly, which is saying a lot in these difficult times. We thought the tour itself was a well balanced mix of different volunteer jobs, informative speakers and touring. We understand the visit to the Gaza envelope was relatively new and thought it was a very worthwhile addition. A couple minor points with room for improvement. You probably can't do anything about it, but soldier who served as our contact point on the base was terrible. The other complaint is the Jerusalem hotel, Prima Kings. It has a great location, but the plumbing in our room didn't work well and the front desk people were useless.

During this time, when Israel needs us the most, I too needed her and to be with other like-minded people. The best way to accomplish these needs was to volunteer! Authentic Israel allowed for a resourceful, meaningful and seamless volunteer experience from beginning to end. Our extremely capable and knowledgeable leaders, Irad and Noa will forever be in my heart. Not only were the immediate needs of the country being met, but strong connections within my group were being made. We all brought back a sense of community and still continue to help each other fight many of the ongoing issues both in Israel and the United States through daily communications with each other. I am so grateful Authentic Israel is able to recalibrate their services during this time so that we may all unite to make sure Israel is getting what it needs. So roll your sleeves up, get in there and just go!

I could not have been happier with my experience with Authentic Israel. Everything was professionally run and I felt safe 100% of the time. The two leaders of our group, Barak and Cat as well as our bus driver, Assad, were amazing - knowledgeable, personable, and experienced - and I could have not asked for better. They each added immeasurably to the trip. I am planning on returning to Israel in March and will be booking through Authentic Israel again.