It was wonderful! Alon was great and we had lots of work experience too. I would have liked longer volunteer hours, though.

Great activities. Fabulous guide Would recommend it to anyone.

Wonderful experience - August-September - 7 days + 3 days on our own before in Hadera. Enjoyed volunteering. Great guide. Always felt safe. Interesting blend of volunteering, touring and gaining a better understanding of Israel. Our perspective many differ. Yes, been to Israel previously, even same hotels. Yes, some family and friends there (we rarely see. ) We came again (LY: Volunteer Israel in May) to learn how Israeli citizens see themselves with the war after nearly 2-years. We always felt safe - never under danger, and going everywhere, feeling safe. Thanks to tour guide. All Israelis we met were grateful (thankful), surprised and honored, we were volunteering. So many Israelis we met in shops, and on tour do the same. Our tour guide's openness to perspectives, even the simple statement of an Arab driver for us, his Palestinian wife, taking off Friday night-Saturday Shabbat removed all stereotypes. An impromptu opportunity to bump into and chat with a Lieutenant Colonel reservist of 4 wars, called himself a peacenik -deciding it was important to chat - more than to eat, and in spare time comes to the US, the arranged meetings with volunteer leadership in multiple organizations, and even chatting to the 27-year old Christian shopkeeper, expecting to be called to serve next week, is direct insight to their common expression "it's complicated. " This is a good balance for those of all ages who want to volunteer but also learn. In this tour, we listened carefully, and we saw hope, aspirations, prayer and community. Our fellow travelers were similar in some, but diverse as for many, they've not been here since the war. We felt very safe at all times. This tour helped us to see how Israel in just two years has adapted - individuals coming together, so even with the diversity (and disagreement) - it's like in some but far less in others than America. The tour showed their lack of fear in being diverse. And, as to the volunteering we harvested grapes (drank some wine)...

I have to say going to Israel so many times this week with Authentic Israel was my most rewarding experience a trip of a lifetime! Thanks Carole

Our Story Central Europe was a very moving experience. The concentration on my Jewish heritage made the experience of seeing several fascinating countries and cities especially meaningful. Our guides were very personable and knowledgeable. It is accurate to call our guides our teachers. Their information was very well organized and resulted in a thorough presentation of the history of Jews in central Europe. The hotels were fine and well located. Authentic Israel is a good tour company to work with. It was flexible to accommodate our special dietary needs and anticipated, and helped implement, our desire for an additional night at the tour hotel at the beginning and end of the trip. I thought that we got good value based on the cost and quality of the tour.

This trip is amazing! It is also physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. The schedule is demanding, a lot of sitting, standing and walking on sometimes uneven pavement - not for the weary. I give the trip an overview of 5 stars but that doesn't mean there aren't areas to improve.

This tour was amazing!!! The tour guides were the best. . Very knowledgeable, caring and went out of their way for everyone! It's not easy leading 44 adults around Central Europe! Their planning of activities and making sure everyone was happy and safe was beyond my expectations. The trip was very moving and fulfilled my bucket list! We also can't forget our wonderful driver who had a lot of tight spots to navigate. Thanks again Toby, Serg Meriamtek and Chris and all the 44 participants who made this the best trip!!!

We can't thank you enough for providing such a powerful, meaningful exploration of European Jewish history. It will take time to process - this is not a trip one takes lightly - it's a visceral experience - only made possible by the breadth of knowledge, meticulous attention to detail, and most importantly, grace, of our guides Toby, Sergey, and Miriam. They are simply the best. Im truly sorry we were unable to complete the journey to Germany.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Authentic Israel's Our Story Central Europe was the BEST tour I've ever taken! From the excellent pre-tour preparation and Toby's administration of the trip to the terrific insights provided by our expert guides Sergey and Miriam, everything we experienced far exceeded my expectations. (Thanks, Serj, for the singing opportunities!) It was a wonderful combination of deeply meaningful Jewish experiences and tremendous fun. It greatly strengthened my (already significant) Jewish identity and provided living context to the history of Our People that I had heretofore only read in books or seen on a screen. This may have been my first trip with Authentic Israel, but it certainly won't be my last. Thank you, Toby!

An experience that will always live in your soul.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip. However, from the beginning it was culturally, spiritually and emotionally amazing. This trip enabled me to connect and feel the life my father experienced in Poland as a child, a young man and later what he endured in the camps. The synagogues you visit go from the simple to the sublime and you can feel a connection in each and every one of them. The trip takes you from the lows and atrocities of the camps to the highs and beauties of amazing European cities. Toby’s leadership was incredible and our guides were full of rich and deep historical knowledge. Overall it is a trip I would recommend for every Jewish person to experience.

Our trip to Central Europe with Toby and Authentic Europe was extraordinary. This was our first group tour, and we never anticipated developing such warm and lasting friendships with our travel companions. The world-class itinerary was packed with historically significant activities and visits to once-in-a-lifetime locales, brought further to life by our knowledgeable and gracious guide, Miriam, who added context and texture to what we were seeing through her intimate stories of survivors she has known and their families. We were immersed in Jewish history and culture and the horrors of the Holocaust. Just as significant, all the guides -Toby, Miriam, and Sergey - at all times promoted safety, friendship, and fun in a way that truly brought together the whole group. These are friendships that will last a lifetime. We look forward to our next trip with Toby.

Amazing, life changing trip!

I only booked the Poland segment of this trip and, in hindsight, wish I done everything. Toby and the tour guides made this an incredible journey through our Jewish Heritage. Immediately they formed a cohesive traveling group, and they all have a deep knowledge of each city. I could not fathom visiting concentration camps on my own as a solo traveler. It was simply wonderful to both reflect and enjoy.

Thank you to Toby, Miriam and Serge for an incredible Poland trip. We learned so much, cried with you and actually laughed alot too. I am so happy to have met all my new friends on this trip and to have experienced an important, fabulous and meaningful trip to Poland. I haven’t stop talking about this country and the jewish experience.

- I felt safe & well-informed by Nitsan [our Guide] & our bus driver. - We did meaningful effective work during our Mission to help Israel & Israelis. This was not a "fufu" attempt@ helping! - Neil Lazarus is an outstanding speaker! - Nitsan shared both news updates as well as his personal experiences. - This was perhaps my biggest "AHA" & serendipity of our Authentic Israel Mission: There were 3 volunteers who were not Jewish or did not know they had Jewish descendants until some time ago [in other words, not until they were well into adulthood], & they were the BEST OF HUMANITY! I had not previously experienced significant non-Jewish friends' support in words, donations, or physically coming to Israel to support - yet HERE were these 3 mensches putting their values & beliefs into ACTIONS by paying thousands of dollars to come to Israel to physically/emotionally/ verbally/mentally/& spiritually truly support Israel WITH THEIR LIVES & SPIRIT! I told them so during our Mission & shared my deep Gratitude for having met them, for who they are, & for what they've done for the Jewish People, Israelis & Israel. I remain honored & humbled to have met ALL of our volunteer partners! - Also received great support from Authentic Israel office staff, both pre & post Mission.

My husband and I absolutely Loved the experience organized by Authentic Israel. From beginning to end since we landed at Ben Gurion. All was included in the cost which was reasonable to begin with, compared to other tours and we had more days as well compared to other trips. The hotels were well located and comfortable, everyday was filled with amazing experiences and amazing and meaningful volunteer work and historical learning. The food was outstanding but most importantly, we made amazing long lasting friends including the tour guides who were so incredibly dedicated to us in every way. We felt safe and taken care of. There were no donations or contributions asked by the organizers and no merchandise was sold to us. Any money we donated was given directly to those in need and anything we purchased went directly to the business owners. We cant wait to be back this Summer again. We highly recommend Authentic Israel and we hope we have the same tour guides on our next trip. However, if the other tour guides are as amazing as Cat and Shimi, anyone will have a truly meaningful experience. To give back is what we all wanted as being away during this crucial time made us feel helpless. This trip and the way it was put together made us love Israel more than we already do. Kol Hakadod and Thanks again for such a great experience. B'H

The Volunteers for Israel trip was very special and meaningful. The itinerary allowed for a variety of activities through which we could contribute in many different ways. The group melded very well and the small group size (23 or 24) allowed everyone to get to know each other in more than a superficial way. This was our second Authentic Israel trip with Toby who is a very patient and special tour guide. The trip would not have been the same without her. I would definitely recommend this trip for a volunteer opportunity and Authentic Israel as a company with whom to travel.

The experience was amazing. We participated in many very worthwhile volunteer experiences and also travelled to a number of sites to pay our respects to the Oct 7 victims and also understand the history and current environment in Israel. It was a perfect mix of both. Toby and Shimon were great, adding the perspective of those who lived through the last traumatic period and leaving us with both a better understanding and also hope for the future. I wouldn’t hesitate going on another volunteer mission with Authentic Israel, and also looking into some of their other trips to Morocco, Eastern Europe, etc.

It was an amazing week. Toby and Simon were extremely knowledgeable and helpful, as well as very pleasant to be with. The volunteer experiences were truly meaningful and provided a good variety of activities. I loved every minute.