Passages

What Passages does

Passages Israel is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Allen, Texas, that designs and operates subsidized, faith-based educational trips to Israel for Christian high school and college students aged 16-30. Its core offering is a 10-day immersive program covering biblical sites in Jerusalem, the Galilee, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv, combined with geopolitical briefings, volunteer components, and interactions with Israeli residents. Specialized tracks exist for high school students, college students, Catholic students, and Latino/Hispanic participants, alongside a three-day Israel Impact Summit in Washington D.C. focused on alumni advocacy and leadership. The organization supplements travel with a Pre-Trip Course delivered via Canvas LMS, a required Post-Trip Capstone Project, and a sustained Alumni Program organized around local Hubs in cities including Dallas and Atlanta.

The technology stack is entirely composed of third-party SaaS platforms rather than proprietary infrastructure: Slate by Technolutions serves as the constituent CRM and application management system; Active Campaign handles marketing automation and email; Qualtrics collects participant feedback; Canvas LMS delivers pre-trip coursework; Accredible issues digital certificates and badges; and Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel support web analytics and retargeting. The only differentiated content technology is the 'Survived to Tell' VR experience featuring testimony from an October 7 survivor, deployed at campuses including MIT, Princeton, and Hillsdale College. No public API, SDK, or proprietary AI/ML capability is documented.

Passages operates a donor-subsidized revenue model in which students pay a nominal registration fee ($250-$600) against a fully-loaded program cost of approximately $2,000 per trip, with the balance funded by charitable contributions. Cumulative scholarship disbursements have reached $32.1M across 10,000-11,000+ students served since inception. Donations are solicited through one-time gifts, recurring contributions, donor-advised funds, stock transfers, and legacy giving. Go-to-market is event-driven and partnership-driven: recruitment runs through 610+ school and organizational partners (notably the Fellowship of Christian Athletes), embedded Campus Fellows serve as ambassadors, and security and safety operations are coordinated with ASERO Worldwide, Moked Teva, the Israel Educational Travel Alliance, and the Israeli Home Front Command.

Name

Passages

Legal name

Passages Israel

Website

https://passagesisrael.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Passages Israel is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs subsidized 10-day faith-based educational trips to Israel for Christian high school and college students, complemented by an alumni advocacy program, a Washington D.C. leadership summit, and donor-funded scholarships exceeding $32M cumulatively.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Educational Travel

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious & Sacred Sites Tours (THAJAAAF), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Faith-based travel
• Educational travel programs
• Holy land tours
• Christian student trips
• Religious education travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Giv'atayim

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trip Registration Fees: Students pay a registration fee to participate in Passages trips to Israel. The total cost is subsidized by donors - for the Israel Impact Summit, the actual cost is $2,000 but students pay $250 registration. For Israel trips, there is a program cost with scholarship assistance available.
2. Donations and Scholarships: Passages is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that relies on charitable donations to fund scholarships for students. Donors can give one-time or recurring donations, stocks and securities, or through donor-advised funds. The organization has funded $32.1M in scholarships to date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Passages runs 10-day educational trips to Israel for Christian high school and college students, combining visits to biblical sites, geopolitical briefings, volunteer activities, and cross-cultural experiences across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Galilee. The portfolio includes specialized High School, College, Catholic, and Latino student programs, plus a 3-day Washington D.C. leadership summit for alumni and a pre-trip/post-trip learning curriculum delivered through Canvas LMS.

Product overview

Passages is an educational travel organization offering faith-based Israel trips primarily for high school and college students. The core product is the Israel Student Trip program, a 10-day immersive experience visiting biblical sites in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Galilee. The portfolio includes specialized programs for High School Students, College Students, and Catholic Students, plus the Israel Impact Summit—a 3-day Washington D.C. leadership summit for alumni. Pre-trip preparation uses a Canvas LMS-based online course, followed by a post-trip Capstone Project that includes online coursework and community activities. The Alumni Program provides ongoing leadership development, networking, and advocacy opportunities through local Hub communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Israel Student Trips Ten-day educational trips to Israel for Christian students that include visits to biblical sites, geopolitical briefings, volunteer work with local communities, and interactions with Israeli residents across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Galilee regions.
• Israel Impact Summit (Washington D.C.)

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of students better understand the geopolitical context of Israel
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASERO WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecurity partner that Passages coordinates with to monitor developments in Israel. Provides security guidance and situational awareness for trip operations during the ongoing conflict.
• Moked TevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli security partner that works with Passages to monitor developments and provide guidance on safety procedures for participants in Israel.
• Israel Educational Travel AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational travel alliance partner providing coordination and guidance for safe operations of student trips to Israel.
• Home Front CommandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli civil defense authority whose guidelines Passages follows for adjusting itineraries and maintaining shelter access during sirens.
• American Jewish Committee (AJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassages partners with AJC to host interfaith events including Shabbat dinners that bring together Jewish and Christian young adults for fellowship and dialogue. Co-hosted second dinner in six months.
• Chabad CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassages mobilized alumni across the country to visit local Chabad centers ahead of Passover, delivering handwritten notes of support. Several rabbis reported the outreach was rare and deeply encouraging after October 7.
• KKL-JNFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish National Fund partnered with Passages for tree-planting ceremony at Re'im Forest with families of October 7 Nova music festival victims.
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFCA is a key partner organization that helps recruit and support student participants for Passages Israel trips. Featured in impact statistics and alumni network.
• Healing Arts KitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Passages for campus care kit assembly events, including Princeton University event assembling kits for children in Israel impacted by ongoing war.
• Embassy of IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassages alumni joined the Embassy of Israel's 21st Annual Day of Prayer and Solidarity. Alumni met with Ambassador Leiter and participated in the evening centered on prayer, unity, and Christian-Jewish relationship.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA): A core Passages partner (channel partner and referrer) whose campus audience — Christian student athletes at U.S. colleges and high schools — heavily overlaps Passages' target demographic of practicing Christian students aged 16–30, making it the most relevant distribution-side peer.
• MEJDI Tours: Educational tour operator specializing in multi-narrative, faith- and justice-oriented group travel to Israel and the Holy Land, directly competing for the same school, church, and faith-based group trip business as Passages.
• Holy Land / Christian Pilgrimage Tour Operators (e.g., Niche Tours, Worldwide Christian Travel, Faith Tour Holidays): Specialist Christian Holy Land tour operators (multiple small incumbents) running adult-oriented Holy Land pilgrimages in the same destination category that Passages serves with its student-focused product.

Broad incumbents

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Established evangelical campus ministry with chapters at 600+ U.S. colleges serving the same practicing Christian student demographic, including running its own short-term international mission and study programs.
• Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ): Large U.S. evangelical campus ministry that operates study-abroad, missions, and discipleship programs for a near-identical student demographic and often funnels participants into faith-based travel experiences including Holy Land trips.
• Taglit-Birthright Israel: Scaled educational Israel travel provider for Jewish young adults aged 18–32 — a different faith audience but highly analogous operating model (donor-subsidized group trips with educational/identity outcomes) and a benchmark for the size of the in-Israel young adult trip market.

Others

• The Israel Project / StandWithUs: Israel-advocacy and education organizations operating campus programs and education for U.S. Christian and Jewish students — adjacent rather than competitive, but converging on the same awareness/advocacy outcomes Passages cultivates through the Israel Impact Summit.

Emerging players

• Mayanot Institute: Jerusalem-based educational organization offering short-term study, gap-year, and tour programs — including faith-rooted — to young adults exploring Jewish heritage and Israeli life, an adjacent niche that overlaps Passages on educational Israel experiences.
• ROI Community: Israel-based initiative connecting 18–30 year-old young adults (including many American Christians and other faith backgrounds) to Israeli society and peers, serving a similar demographic and comparable in length of Israel experience.

Regional players

• Israel Experience (Manis Studios): Israel-based tour operator running faith- and heritage-oriented group tours of the Holy Land, including Christian audiences, providing direct overlap in product offering on the ground in Israel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@passagesisrael
• Facebookfacebook.com/passagesisrael
• Instagraminstagram.com/passagesisrael
• TikToktiktok.com/@passagesisrael
• Xx.com/passagesisrael
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/passages-international-operations

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Passages