BBYO Passport is a leading expert in teen travel, with over 70 years of experience guiding Jewish teens on safe, meaningful, and transformative journeys worldwide. We’ve been trusted by thousands of families who choose us for our commitment to top-notch safety and security, meticulously crafted itineraries, and close collaboration with tour providers who share our values. Our understanding of what teens need to feel secure, engaged, and inspired ensures every trip is a uniquely enriching experience they’ll never forget.

Eligibility rules are determined by RootOne. Please note, teens currently in 8th grade are not eligible to receive a RootOne travel voucher. For more information on Voucher eligibility, please visit RootOne’s website. Voucher eligibility is not connected to financial need or merit. Additionally, applicants must be in good standing with BBYO and cannot be on probation—if they are a member—or owe any funds to BBYO.

Eligible voucher applicants must identify as Jewish and be currently enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Teens must be citizens of the United States or Canada. In addition:

• If you have previously received a RootOne voucher for travel to Israel, you are not eligible to apply again.
• If you applied for a RootOne Israel voucher for Summer 2025 and your trip was cancelled, you are eligible to apply again.
• If you have previously received an Alternative RootOne Voucher in Summer 2025 for a destination outside of Israel, you are eligible to apply again for a RootOne Israel voucher.

RootOne provides one (1) $3,000 voucher per participant for select Israel travel programs. Visit a BBYO trip’s landing page to see if it is eligible.

Yes! The RootOne voucher is open to graduating seniors for Summer 2026 trips.

No. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher for Israel—this excludes teens who received an alternative RootOne voucher for programs outside of Israel in Summer 2025—you are not eligible to apply again. Other BBYO and community scholarships may be available. You can find additional scholarship information here.

RootOne Voucher recipients must take part in engagement programming (4-6 hours total) in the spring prior to travel, as well as complete a pre- and post-program confidential survey.

Non-fulfillment of these obligations, cancellations requested after our final refund deadline, and/or removal from the program due to a Code of Conduct violation will necessitate repayment of the voucher to BBYO.

The voucher may be applied to select BBYO Passport Summer Experiences in Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences (e.g., Europe + Israel). For Summer 2026, our travel programs outside of Israel are not eligible for the RootOne voucher, nor are BBYO summer leadership programs, including CLTC, ILTC, or International Kallah.

Yes, you may receive a RootOne Voucher and still be eligible for other forms of scholarship for Israel travel and Camp Leadership programs from BBYO as well as from other funding sources.

Families are responsible for paying the balance in full minus any scholarship awards they are expecting to maintain a current account balance. If your family overpays for their teen’s experience—which results in an account overage—BBYO will refund your family (or funder) for your account overage by sending a check in the fall after account reconciliations have been completed. Please see our Enrollment page for details.

You will only need to pay the program balance, minus any expected scholarship funding that BBYO is aware of. Please see the example chart below:

Yes! Receiving a RootOne voucher does not currently impact eligibility for Birthright Israel.

The vouchers are funded by RootOne. Seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project, RootOne provides major subsidies for trip participants (called RootOne vouchers), invests in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and works with its partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identity and connection to Israel before they begin college.

Additional information about RootOne Vouchers can be found on RootOne’s website.

RootOne voucher application availability varies from year to year. Once you apply for a trip that is eligible for a RootOne voucher, BBYO will communicate when the voucher application becomes available.

Applying for the travel voucher is as easy as:

1. Choosing your RootOne-eligible travel program with BBYO
   • The voucher may be applied to select BBYO Passport Summer Experiences in Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences (e.g., Europe + Israel)
2. Signing up with BBYO by registering for your desired trip
3. Completing the voucher application with RootOne once it opens and BBYO shares the application details.

BBYO will only send the RootOne application to families who have successfully completed registration for an eligible program within one (1) week of registration.

After you submit your RootOne Voucher application, you will receive a confirmation email from RootOne. Eligibility rules are determined by RootOne. Please refer to the "Are there any obligations in return for the grant?” question for details on how to complete voucher requirements.

Yes! Register for any eligible travel program of your choice now to qualify for the voucher. If you want to change programs, switch dates, or add a connected experience later, just email us to request to switch.

Please note that program transfers are only available if registration is open and there are spots available on the desired trip. Transfers will be processed at the discretion of the BBYO Passport team and are not guaranteed.

The RootOne travel voucher is used to cover program costs on your behalf. As such, those funds are considered a recipient’s financial obligation to BBYO in the event a teen cancels their participation beyond the refund deadline. For this reason, we encourage you to purchase travel insurance that covers the combined cost of your direct program/travel costs AND the $3,000 RootOne voucher. Please visit our Travel Insurance page for more information.

Welcome to BBYO Passport! Please reach out to your original trip provider and ask them to cancel your RootOne voucher application. Once this is done, email our team at bbyosummer@bbyo.org for instructions on how to re-apply through us. Each trip provider has a separate grant, so a new application is required.

Please email bbyosummer@bbyo.org with your teen’s full name, trip name, and a screenshot of the issue so that our team can troubleshoot.

After applying, applicants are required to complete a series of educational experiences called nekudot—the Hebrew word for points. There are typically 18 nekudot to complete, which we estimate take approximately 4-6 hours to finish, depending on the activities and courses chosen.

Teens will complete their nekudot within an online portal, managed by RootOne.

For all Summer 2026 trips, the 18 nekudot need to be completed by May 15, 2026. Please note that dates are subject to change each year at the discretion of RootOne.

Please email bbyosummer@bbyo.org with your teen’s full name and trip name and our team will provide an updated link to login. If you are experiencing a technical issue, please also include a screenshot of the problem.

Families are responsible for paying the balance in full minus any scholarship awards they are expecting to maintain a current account balance. If your family overpays for their teen’s experience—which results in an account overage—BBYO will refund your family (or funder) for your account overage by sending a check in the fall after account reconciliations have been completed. Please see our Enrollment page for details.

You will only need to pay the program balance, minus any expected scholarship funding that BBYO is aware of. Please see the example chart below:

RootOne partners with many Jewish organizations, each of which receive their own grant. Deadlines, requirements, and communication may look different depending on the trip provider. Please follow the guidelines provided by the BBYO Summer team for your voucher.