The 2019 Israel Lacrosse Birthright trip will feature two nights of high-performance training and competition on the field in Ashkelon and Jerusalem.
The free trip, which is open to Jewish college lacrosse players, runs from July 1-11, and features touring, opportunities to teach lacrosse to Israeli youth, and on-field play.
The teams will first hit the turf at Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem in the evening of Thursday, July 4th, joining the Israel men’s and women’s national teams for an intensive three-hour joint training session, culminating in mixed scrimmages.
On Wednesday, July 10th, the teams will re-convene in Ashkelon — the birthplace of lacrosse — as the Birthright/USA All-Stars take on the Israel men’s national team in a full FIL-length game.
The Birthright women will again hold a three-hour joint-training with the Israel women’s national team, culminating in scrimmages.
The trip runs alongside the official training camp for the Israel women’s national team, which will be joining 15 other European countries in the 2018 ELF European Championships, held in Israel from July 15-25. The blue-and-white are permitted to roster up to three non-passport holders, and several athletes from the Birthright trip are expected to be directly promoted to the national squad based on ability, character, and positional needs.
The tour is limited to 40 Jewish athletes (20 men’s players and 20 women’s players) who are active or recent graduates of NCAA lacrosse programs. Players from club lacrosse programs are also welcome to apply.
Participants must cover their own travel expense to New York for the tour, which is operated in conjunction with Amazing Israel and Taglit-Birthright. The trips are otherwise completely free of charge for Jewish athletes ages 18-26.
Athletes interested in this experience should register at www.amazingisrael.com. Placements are limited and applicants are encouraged to register immediately. Please note that all Taglit-Birthright eligibility rules apply and there are no guarantees for placement.
Participants are encouraged to extend their trip through the ELF Women’s European Championships, and the Israel Premier Lacrosse League season, which takes place from July 13-25.
For additional information, please contact Seth Mahler at seth@lacrosse.co.il.