What Shorashim does

Shorashim is a US-registered non-profit organization (legal entity: Shoreshim, Inc., d/b/a Shorashim, Inc.) headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with a parallel Israel-registered non-profit (Shorashim Tochniot Mifgash) handling on-ground operations. The organization was founded in 1999 and operated for 23+ years as an approved Birthright Israel trip organizer, sending more than 40,000 Jewish young adults aged 18-26 to Israel across more than 1,000 groups. Shorashim's core offering centered on 10-day immersive educational trips in which participants spent the full duration with Israeli peers — a differentiator versus organizers offering shorter Israeli engagement periods. Trips were funded by Birthright Israel's partnership model (Government of Israel, private philanthropists, North American Jewish Federations, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Keren Hayesod) and provided free of charge to eligible participants, with an estimated per-trip value exceeding $3,500.

Shorashim's go-to-market relied on community-led recruitment through a network of 30+ Jewish organizations, campus Hillels, and Jewish Federations across North America, supplemented by direct application via the Birthright Israel platform and an owned digital presence (israelwithisraelis.com, Instagram @shorashimisrael). The organization derived no fee-based revenue from individual participants; instead, its economic model was embedded within the Birthright Israel funding structure, with on-ground operations executed by the Israel entity. On October 31, 2022, Shorashim concluded its final Birthright Israel trip, and effective November 1, 2022, shifted focus to a 'Tailor Made Trips to Israel' department alongside sub-products including the JNF Alternative Winter Break volunteer program, Shorashim High School Adventure, and the Kefiada day camp in Israel's Northern Negev. The new product surface targets schools, youth groups, and organizations seeking custom Israel programming rather than the historical young-adult Birthright cohort.

As of the most recent data, Shorashim has 11-50 employees, no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed funding rounds (operating as a non-profit rather than a venture-backed entity), and no AI/ML capabilities. Its remaining competitive assets are the 40,000+ alumni network, brand recognition within the North American Jewish community, 23+ years of operational know-how, and established relationships with major Jewish Federations, Hillels, JNF, and JUF. The strategic question for the post-pivot entity is whether the brand equity, operational expertise, and partnership network can be monetized at meaningful scale through the new tailor-made and sub-product offerings without the central Birthright Israel pipeline that historically provided the participant flow.

Name

Shorashim

Legal name

Shoreshim, Inc., d/b/a Shorashim, Inc.

Website

https://israelwithisraelis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shorashim is a Chicago-based non-profit that operated as a Birthright Israel trip organizer for 23+ years (1999-2022), sending 40,000+ Jewish young adults aged 18-26 on 10-day immersive trips to Israel, and has since pivoted to tailor-made Israel trips and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Travel Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Heritage & Israel Pilgrimage Travel Agencies (THAKAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Country Placement, Homestay & On-Ground Coordination Services (EDAIAGAM), Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips (EDAIAHAD), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)

Keywords

• Educational travel programs
• Jewish heritage tours
• Youth cultural programs
• Israel educational trips
• Nonprofit travel services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Birthright Israel Trip Operations: Shorashim operated as a non-profit trip organizer for Birthright Israel, which provides free trips to Israel for eligible Jewish young adults ages 18-26. The trips are funded through an innovative partnership between the Government of Israel, private philanthropists, and Jewish communities worldwide (North American Jewish Federations through the Jewish Federations of North America; the Jewish Agency for Israel; and Keren Hayesod).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shorashim is a non-profit organization that operates and organizes educational group travel programs to Israel, historically delivering free 10-day Birthright Israel trips for Jewish young adults aged 18-26, and currently providing tailor-made immersive Israel experiences and partner programs such as volunteer, high school, and day-camp offerings.

Product overview

Shorashim is a non-profit organization (comprising Shoreshim, Inc. in the US and Shorashim Tochniot Mifgash in Israel) that enables Jewish young adults from North America to have fun, educational, and meaningful experiences in Israel. The organization transitioned from its historical role as a Birthright Israel trip organizer (concluded October 2022 after 23 years) to its current focus on Tailor Made trips to Israel. The product portfolio includes customized immersive travel experiences, along with sub-products such as the JNF Alternative Winter Break volunteer program, Shorashim High School Adventure, and Kefiada day camp program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailor Made Trips to Israel

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ Jewish young adults sent to Israel over 23+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Birthright IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirthright Israel is an innovative partnership between the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, private philanthropists and thousands of donors and Jewish communities around the world. Shorashim operated as an approved trip organizer for 23+ years, managing participant recruitment, trip logistics, and on-ground operations in Israel. This partnership ended in October 2022.
• Jewish Federation of Greater PittsburghminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity federation serving as a referral source and community partner for Birthright Israel participant recruitment in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
• Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerJUF sponsors the Back from Birthright Israel network connecting trip alumni in the Chicagoland area socially, professionally, through Jewish life & culture, volunteerism, & philanthropy. Also partners on Kefiada program for the Partnership Region of Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir.
• Jewish National Fund (JNF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNF Alternative Winter Break program brings participants to Israel for one week to volunteer with children, environment, people with special needs, and minority communities. Shorashim proudly partners with JNF by running this trip on the ground in Israel.
• Hillel (Various Campus Organizations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCampus Hillel organizations serve as primary recruitment partners including Auburn Hillel, University of Chicago Hillel, UW Madison Hillel, MIT Hillel, Tufts Hillel, Metro Chicago Hillel, Illini Hillel, Boston University Hillel, Alabama Hillel, and others. These partnerships enable campus-level participant recruitment.
• Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoston-area Jewish federation serving as a community partner for Birthright Israel participant recruitment and Jewish engagement programming.
• Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Washington DCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDC Federation serves as community partner for participant recruitment in the Washington DC metropolitan area for Birthright Israel programs.
• Jewish Omaha FederationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional Jewish federation serving as community partner for Birthright Israel participant recruitment in the Omaha area.
• Minnesota HillelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCampus Hillel organization serving as recruitment partner for Jewish students at Minnesota universities for Birthright Israel programs.
• Alexander Muss High School in IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school study abroad program in Israel. Shorashim eligibility guidance notes that participants who have completed Alexander Muss High School in Israel programs may still be eligible for Birthright Israel, indicating a complementary rather than competing relationship.
• Onward IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnward Israel offers resume building opportunities including internships, academic study and fellowships in Israel. Shorashim notes that participation in Onward Israel programs makes participants ineligible for Birthright Israel, suggesting referral pathway for those who age out or don't qualify.
• Masa IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMasa Israel connects young adults to 150+ programs in Israel for work, volunteer, or study opportunities with grants and scholarships. Shorashim references Masa as a pathway for participants who have aged out of Birthright Israel eligibility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Onward Israel: Directly comparable: resume-building internships, academic study and fellowship programs in Israel for Jewish young adults — Shorashim references Onward as a complementary pathway and ineligible-program marker, indicating identical target customer and product category.
• MyNewSummer: Listed on Shorashim's website as a partner organization running Jewish summer Israel programming for young adults, indicating shared customer base and product category.
• Masa Israel Journey: Directly comparable: provides grants and scholarships for North American Jewish young adults to participate in work, study, and volunteer programs in Israel — Shorashim explicitly references Masa as the pathway for participants aging out of Birthright eligibility.
• NFTY-EIE / Heller High: Reform Jewish high school semester program in Israel; Shorashim references NFTY-EIE/Heller High as a complementary high school Israel experience, operating in the same Jewish youth Israel travel category.
• Jewish National Fund (JNF) Alternative Winter Break: Shorashim itself runs the JNF Alternative Winter Break trip on the ground in Israel; JNF is both a partner and a producer of overlapping volunteer-focused Israel trips for Jewish young adults.
• Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI): High school study abroad program in Israel; Shorashim's own materials flag AMHSI participation as complementary eligibility for Birthright, indicating identical Jewish-educational Israel travel niche and overlapping customer base.
• Livnot U'Lehibanot / Israel Outdoors: Other Birthright-approved trip organizers and Israel immersive experience providers for Jewish young adults; competes for the same North American 18-26 demographic and trip organizer approval slots.
• Ramah Seminar: Conservative Jewish movement-affiliated Israel seminar program for high school students; operates in the same Jewish youth immersive Israel travel niche as Shorashim's sub-products.

Broad incumbents

• Birthright Israel Foundation: The umbrella organization that funded and administered Shorashim's core product for 23+ years; not a direct competitor in trip operation but the central platform and underwriting body that defined Shorashim's operating model.
• Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life: The campus Jewish organization network that Shorashim relied on for participant recruitment; Hillel itself runs Jewish engagement and Israel travel programming for the same demographic.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/shorashimisrael
• Facebookfacebook.com/shorashim
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shorashim

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shorashim