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In November, Jewish Federation of San Diego reached a meaningful milestone: four immersive travel programs unfolding across three countries in a single week. It was a Federation first, and a powerful reflection of the organization’s increased investment in immersive travel.
This expansion is rooted in community need. The recent Blueprint for Our Future: San Diego Jewish Community Study showed that many San Diegans feel only somewhat, or not at all, connected to Jewish life locally. National insights from RootOne point to immersive travel as a proven catalyst for long-term engagement and pride. Together, these findings have guided Federation’s effort to create experiences that build belonging—connecting participants with global Jewish communities while deepening their relationships within San Diego, as travelers return home with shared purpose and stronger bonds.
During this extraordinary week, four delegations—totaling more than 40 local participants – set out on transformative journeys across the globe.
The Giborim Program, a yearlong leadership and professional development experience for early-career Jewish communal professionals, traveled to Israel to meet their peers in Sha’ar HaNegev, San Diego’s longtime partner region. Participants witnessed a community rebuilding with extraordinary courage after the profound trauma of the October 7 attacks and resulting war. As participant Maya Satnick shared, “Getting to hear firsthand about the experiences our friends have gone through was inspiring and incredibly impactful. I was shocked how much Sha’ar HaNegev felt like home even though it was my first time in the region.”
During the Men’s Mission to Cuba, participants balanced the vibrancy of Cuban culture with the economic and leadership crises facing the Cuban people. The group spent time with Cuba’s small but proud Jewish community, bringing much needed medicines, financial support and other supplies. Participant Josh Erickson reflected, “I saw a Cuba broken in many ways… But I also saw the way people are – good, kind, and resilient.”
The fifth cohort of Pauline Foster Women’s Leadership Institute, Federation’s premier leadership program for emerging Jewish women leaders, spent the week in Mexico City. Participants engaged with local Jewish leaders, explored cultural and historic sites, and reflected on their own leadership journeys. As participant Stacey Wallach noted, “My time in Mexico City was profoundly moving – a journey of connection, sisterhood, and shared spirit.”
Rounding out the week was Honeymoon Israel, a program that helps young couples experience Israel’s culture, beauty, and society in a way they might never do on their own. Together, the couples from San Diego traveled through Israel while forming a chavurah – a close, supportive circle that often becomes the foundation of their Jewish lives once they return home.
Though each delegation encountered a different expression of Jewish life, all returned with strengthened relationships—both with these global communities and with one another—and a deepened sense of Jewish peoplehood. These trips illustrate the transformative power of immersive experiences at a moment when connection is both urgently needed and deeply valued.
With a robust calendar extending through 2027, Federation is committed to ensuring that even more community members can experience the power of immersive Jewish travel. Those interested in learning more or receiving updates on upcoming travel programs can visit jewishinsandiego.org.
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