When:         Friday, February 17 (late evening) to Saturday, February 25, 2023

Where:        We will be living and working in the village of La Guama, in the northwest region of the Dominican Republic.

What:        We will primarily be building a home for one beneficiary family. More importantly, we will be participating in a cross-cultural exchange as well as witnessing the harsh realities of poverty.

Who:        Beth Israel has up to 20 spots this February. There will be room for approximately 15 teens.

Cost:          The cost, per participant, will be approximately $2650, including airfare (final cost TBD by December 2022). There will be an opportunity to use an online fundraising platform to help defray the cost per individual.

Leadership: Overall leadership will be provided by the staff of Beth Israel. Additionally, Bridges to Community has staff in the Dominican Republic, who will help with leadership and provide a liaison between our group and the communities where we are living and working.

Timeline:   October 25 – Registration and deposit deadline. Click HERE to register.
December 15 – Final payment due

Tentative Itinerary: TBA

Application Process:

• Each candidate must fill out an online registration form HERE (available space for participation will be offered on a first-come, first serve basis)
• Part of the online application will include a small essay section responding to the question: “Why is this experience important for you?”
• Participants may participate in the fundraising activities to help offset the cost of their respective trip (more info to follow)
• Any monies raise above that amount will go directly to support the community that we will work in.

Expectations:

• All participants will be expected to participate in two local orientation activities (at CBI) that are planned before the trip (dates TBD).  In addition, we will discuss the feasibility of doing a post-trip event to continue the momentum of our experience.
• Session 1 Tuesday, January 17th @ 5:30-7 pm: Participant MANDATORY meeting – The Jewish response to poverty and the Dominican Republic’s cultural and political history
• Session 2 Tuesday, February 7th @ 6:00-7 pm: Parent/Participant MANDATORY meeting – Trip nuts and bolts.
• This trip is an opportunity not only to help with much needed construction in a rural village, but also for us to learn more about ourselves, our world, and our faith.  Participants will be expected to work hard, ask questions, search for answers, grow internally and externally, and have fun.

Other Information:

• Not all schools have that week in February as a break.  If you do not, you will be provided a letter for education exemption. We would encourage you to speak with your principal or headmaster/mistress about a project or presentation in conjunction with the trip.
• Participants will need a passport valid at least six months after the trip and the recommended vaccinations and medicine.