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.

Dave Israel

Ramla Program Coordinator

Dave joins the Oranim staff after years of involvement with the company. He was raised in Newburgh, NY in a conservative Jewish family, but mostly practiced independently. Dave attended Young Judaea Camps Sprout Lake and Tel Yehuda for many years and was a member of the Newburgh JCC while growing up. He wrestled for Springfield College in Massachusetts, where he studied Psychology and Rehabilitation, and was a charter-member of the S.C. Jewish Student Organization. Dave went on to complete his graduate work in Counseling through Long Island University at West Point and finally made it to Israel on a Taglit Birthright trip with Oranim in the summer of 2007. It was there that Dave reconnected with his Jewish identity and returned to staff Oranim Birthright trips in 2008 and 2009. He loved meeting new people and leading groups, and even had his Bar Mitzvah ceremony on Kibbutz during a birthright trip. Dave extended his stays in Israel each year, but wanted a longer, more meaningful experience. After many years of coaching and working in schools and business, Dave recently completed Oranim 5-month Community Involvement program in Ramla. Dave has decided to stay and make Aliyah.He gets excited to gain new perspective in helping others to enjoy their time in Israel as much as he did; making the most of any experience. He of course misses his family and Yankee games, but now calls Tel Aviv his home.