About Oranim

Founded in 1986 as a travel company geared toward the young Jewish traveler, Israel Way-Oranim project is Israel's premiere educational tourism provider. Our broad menu of programs in Israel and abroad focuses on a Jewish audience but involves a diversity of populations including Christian tourism. We are proud to offer tourism packages for individuals, synagogues, schools, teens, family trips and eCamp Hi-Tech Summer Camp.

Oranim has developed unique travel curricula based on the communality of the Jewish people, and we encourage travel to Israel as part of life-long learning concerning the history and heritage of the Jewish People. Some of our groups also travel to Europe in order to trace the roots of Jewish and Israeli history, and to mark the contributions made by Jews to various cities across the globe. Because Oranim was established and is operated in Israel - in the Jewish national and cultural heart - we are just the people to turn to when you are looking for a special, out-of-the-ordinary look at the Jewish People.

In 1999, Oranim operated the first Taglit-Birthright Israel program and quickly grew to be the largest organizer with over 55,000 international alumni. Always committed to Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) and eager to engage his groups in meaningful, long term community service, Oranim's founder and former president Shlomo (Momo) Lifshitz fulfilled a life-long dream and established the Community Involvement program in 2006. Five years after its entrance into long term Israel programs, Oranim project continues to build meaningful, long term programs in Israel - each of which include a community involvement component, interjecting positive and hopeful messages to communities throughout Israel and participants in our programs. Israel Way-Oranim project proudly stands behind each dedicated and committed participant who contributes his or her time to our long term Israel programs. With more than 1,000 alumni and hundreds of participants in Israel at any moment, Oranim project is the largest organizer in long term programs to Israel.

In 2011, Oranim Educational Initiatives was acquired by Egged Tours, a subsidiary of Egged Cooperative, the leading public transportation operator in Israel and one of the largest public transportation companies in the world. With this acquisition comes a force of new leadership; Hadar Shiran as Executive Director and a new name: Israel Way. This new leadership combined with Oranim’s powerhouse of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking and the Egged Tours’ brand name will be a match made in heaven for Israel travel! The Israel programs alumni and participants have grown to love is now known as Israel Way Oranim Projects. The Oranim Project is excited to continue to provide young adults with the opportunity to experience and explore Israel through a variety of diverse programs.

Irit Koskas

Program Coordinator of Ashdod

Irit Koskas was born in the city of Kiryat-Gat located in the Lacish Region. She is the fifth daughter in a family of six children. Her childhood was characterized by her love of reading books and playing volleyball for her high school team. For her army service, Irit served as an Education and Cultural officer at the Hazerim Air Force Base for three years. With her love and admiration for the Israeli Air force she continued to "stay in the air" and became a stewardess for EL-AL. During her three years with El-AL she visited many countries around the world. This was a wonderful opportunity to get to know new cultures, flavors and fragrances and meet fascinating people. When Irit decided begin studying it was her love and respect for the South of Israel that brought her back there to attend University. She began her academic career at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheeva where she received a bachelor in Psychology and Education. She is now in her second year of her Master's degree studying Organizational Consulting at Bar Ilan University. During her studies she worked as a social worker in a nature and science museum for children. Later she led a women's empowerment project for young girls at risk in Kiryat -Gat. Irit's new love these days is her one year old daughter Libi and her husband Alon. They live on Moshav Yad-Natan.