Inaugural women’s tour to Israel announced

JNF Australia has launched its inaugural Women’s Tour to Israel, a leadership program aimed at deepening participants’ connection with Israel and building a network of female advocates for the organisation.

Applications for the tour are open until August 31. The program is subsidised by KKL-JNF Israel and reflects a commitment to strengthening women’s Zionist engagement.

Participants will meet community leaders and changemakers in Israel, and take part in cultural and educational experiences across the country, including opportunities to connect with Israel’s people, landscapes and stories. During the tour, the group will collectively choose a project in Israel to support, ensuring the experience translates into tangible impact on the ground.

Those who take part will commit to serving as a JNF Australia advocate for two years after returning home, with options including hosting community events, taking part in fundraising, and bringing new supporters into the JNF network, depending on their own skills, interests and networks.

KKL-JNF Israel emissary (shlichah) Sarah Vanunu said the initiative represented something she had believed in “from the very beginning”.

“I advocated for greater investment in women’s Zionist leadership because I know the extraordinary impact women have in strengthening communities, inspiring philanthropy and building lasting connections with Israel.”

She said the concept of women’s leadership tours and dedicated JNF women’s engagement through KKL-JNF had received strong support from colleagues around the world when she first raised it.

“I am incredibly proud that KKL-JNF has now made this vision a reality by investing in programs like this, and that Australia has been selected to deliver one of the inaugural tours,” she said.

“This isn’t simply a visit to Israel. It is about creating a network of passionate women who will return home inspired to lead, advocate and make a tangible difference in their communities for years to come.”

Executive director of JNF Victoria Tammi Faraday, said the women being sought for the program “refuse to believe that someone else will take care of what matters most”.

“This mission will open doors that very few people ever have the opportunity to walk through,” Faraday said. “It will offer rare access to the leaders shaping Israel’s future and to the communities where JNF Australia’s work is transforming lives.

“But its true purpose begins when they return home. Because the measure of this mission will never be what they experienced in Israel. It will be what they choose to build because of it.”

Places on the tour are limited. Apply now jnf.org.au/wlit26