Since 1960, USY has taken hundreds of teens across North America aboard USY on Wheels. On this cross-continent tour, Jewish teens explore the United States and Canada, discovering new sights and making lasting friendships through their travels. An intense identity-building experience, USY on Wheels allows teens to travel and live with their peers, providing abundant opportunities for developing independence and personal growth.
The trip also builds Jewish identity, immersing teens in meaningful experiences and discussions that strengthen their understanding of and commitment to Judaism. Participants celebrate Shabbat, find new and fun ways to pray (through yoga, crafts, and more!) keep kosher, and build their own Jewish communities on the road, teaching them that they can find a sense of kehilla (community) no matter where life’s travels take them.
USY has always been committed to providing Summer Travel Experiences for Jewish teens that are transformative and exciting. We strive to create an environment in which participants can build community, develop their Jewish identity, and explore the world around them in a fun and meaningful way. Throughout the past 65 years, our top priority has always been the safety of our participants and staff. Unfortunately, this meant that due to COVID-19, all Summer 2020 Travel Experiences were canceled.
We hope to resume travel in the Summer of 2021, and are spending every day planning toward that goal. While always keeping health and safety in mind, our team is refining policies and procedures through which we can run our programs, while knowing our environment is not only socially and emotionally safe – but physically safe as well.
If you are interested in signing up for one of our 2021 Summer Travel Experiences, know that you will be able to do so with peace of mind, as our deposits will be fully refundable – with no penalties – through December 31. As we are continuously updating our programmatic policies, this date may be extended depending on the nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
USY on Wheels programs are open to teens in grades 7-11 at the time of registration. USY on Wheels, East is open to current 7th-8th graders. USY on Wheels, Classic is open to current 9th-11th graders. USY on Wheels, Pacific Northwest is open to current 8th-11th graders.
Classic and East typically range from 35-45 teens per bus. There are typically 20-30 teens on Pacific Northwest trips.
Wheels Classic and East buses are supervised by 5 staff members who have made working with Jewish youth a priority. Wheels, Pacific Northwest usually has 3-4 staff members, depending on group size. Each bus is in daily contact with the central USY office and the Director of Teen Travel and International Engagement, who is on call 24 hours a day.
Teens travel on a fully equipped motor coach, driven by a professional who remains with each bus for the duration of the trip.
Three full meals and numerous snacks are provided each day. All the food is kosher and supplied by kosher caterers throughout North America.
Teens stay in major hotels fully equipped with swimming pools and recreational facilities. The number of teens per room varies from three to four depending on the facility.
Teens also have the opportunity to participate in a Home Hospitality program. For approximately ten nights over the course of the trip, teens stay at local USCJ congregants’ homes in a number of communities throughout North America. Teens also spend time with local USYers in each community, participating in activities and seeing what Jewish life is like from Buffalo to Baltimore, Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.
Social action and community service projects are an important component of USY on Wheels. During the course of the summer, teens participate in at least three hours of volunteer work. Past projects have included:
The number of participants range from 15-20.
The group is accompanied by a team of madrichim (counselors). In the past, staff on DREAM USY have been year-round USY staff members, and Jewish youth professionals. Information on our staff members will be sent to participants a few weeks prior to departure.
Our group flight will leave out of and return to JFK Airport in New York City. USYers are responsible for arranging travel to and from JFK to their home cities. During the group’s time in the Dominican Republic, they travel by bus with the same bus driver for the entire duration of the program.
Participants on DREAM USY will enjoy local delicacies that include many fruits and vegetables. All meals throughout the week are vegetarian and include fish and beans. Salads, pizza and pasta are also provided. On Shabbat, we are provided with meat meals thanks to the Chabad of Santo Domingo. All of the meals take place in restaurants.
The group stays in the same hotel throughout the entirety of the program. The hotels have air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, a pool, and hot water. All of the hotels we have stayed at in the past have been eco-hotels – hotels that have made improvements to their structure in order to minimize their impact on the environment.
Each summer, USY partners with the DREAM Project while in the Dominican Republic. Our groups work on various projects with local community members including working at a camp teaching children English, leading art projects, and facilitating sports games in local villages. Past projects have included building a swing set, repainting a school, planting a vegetable garden and trees for shade, and building a volleyball court. Participants have also cleaned and repainted tombstones at the Jewish Cemetery in Sosua. There are currently plans in place to have USY help to build a soccer field and an irrigation system to reroute water and avoid flooding, as well as volunteering with the children’s camp. USYers will leave DREAM having completed 40-50 service hours.
For over 60 years USY has taken thousands of teens to Israel, connecting them to the Jewish homeland. By experiencing Israel’s beauty and power alongside their peers, taking part in a variety of adventurous outdoor activities, and engaging in interesting educational discussions, teens gain a new appreciation, understanding, and love for the country.
In addition to the classic Israel trip, USY offers other programs including authentic Israeli experiences, social-action, and innovation-focused trips, on which teens can meet Israeli citizens, experiencing the country in a very unique and meaningful way.
We also offer combination trips, where teens can visit part of Europe and explore other significant sights of Jewish history before traveling to Israel. Destinations in Europe include Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy.
USY has always been committed to providing Summer Travel Experiences for Jewish teens that are transformative and exciting. We strive to create an environment in which participants can build community, develop their Jewish identity, and explore the world around them in a fun and meaningful way. Throughout the past 65 years, our top priority has always been the safety of our participants and staff. Unfortunately, this meant that due to COVID-19, all Summer 2020 Travel Experiences were canceled.
We hope to resume travel in the Summer of 2021, and are spending every day planning toward that goal. While always keeping health and safety in mind, our team is refining policies and procedures through which we can run our programs, while knowing our environment is not only socially and emotionally safe – but physically safe as well.
If you are interested in signing up for one of our 2021 Summer Travel Experiences, know that you will be able to do so with peace of mind, as our deposits will be fully refundable – with no penalties – through December 31. As we are continuously updating our programmatic policies, this date may be extended depending on the nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
USY Israel Pilgrimage programs are open to teens in grades 10-12 at the time of registration.
Each group includes 20-45 teens.
Groups are led by 3-5 staff members including a group leader, North American counselors, an Israeli counselor, and an Israeli medic. All staff members are qualified advisors, youth directors, teachers, and Conservative rabbis.
Additional support staff in Israel includes various knowledgeable lecturers, tour guides, and other USY personnel. All USY Summer Experience staff participates in an intensive training seminar prior to the trips.
Teens travel on a fully equipped motor coach, driven by professionals. Whenever possible, we maintain the same drivers throughout the summer.
The safety and well-being of our teens has always been, and continues to be, our highest priority. Matters of security always take precedence over all other concerns.
Throughout the summer, trip itineraries are adapted as the situation dictates, to assure the safety of all participants. Changes to the trip may include travels routes, accommodations, and escalation of USY security protocols. We always scrupulously avoid “unsafe” destinations and venues. Our safety record is impeccable as we have decades of experience operating programs under all circumstances.
While traveling, teens will have the opportunity to taste the flavors of Israel. Three full, kosher meals and numerous snacks are given each day. Food is provided by various caterers, hotels, and restaurants throughout Israel. Additionally, in some cities teens will be able to go out on their own for meals at select kosher restaurants.
Teens stay in hotels and youth hostels, dormitory-style bases, field schools and kibbutz guesthouses. Additionally, two weeks of the trip are spent in Jerusalem at the Agron Guest House in the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center for Conservative Judaism, which time it’s our hope that the city will feel like a second home for participants.
During the course of the summer, teens participate in at least six hours of volunteer work. Past projects include serving meals at soup kitchens, picking vegetables with Leket Yisrael for the hungry, and working with children with disabilities.
For teens who prefer more intensive service-focused travel, we have EPIC Israel Changemakers, which offers 35+ hours of volunteer work and the chance to experience Israel in a truly one-of-a-kind way— by meeting and helping Israel’s people through hands-on service and social action projects.
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