Established in October 2007, Germany Close Up – North American Jews Meet Modern Germany is an initiative created to enrich transatlantic dialogue and provide Jewish-North American students and young professionals in their twenties and thirties with an opportunity to experience modern Germany up close and personally. A generous government scholarship (a part of the ERP Special Assets of the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Cliamte Action) covers more than two thirds of participation costs, which leaves a participation fee of $950 per person. At the same time, Germany Close Up is an independent body regarding the organization and content of its programs. The purpose of the program is to allow participants to gain their own perspective on Germany through individual experience.
The trips are designed to expose participants to a range of aspects that make up modern Germany, with both the past and present in focus. Every Germany Close Up trip includes a number of activities, tours, and meetings. All trips cover issues related to Germany’s reflection on its past and its efforts to deal with the memory of the Holocaust and the Nazi horror up to this very day. They also consider Germany’s transformation over the last decades into a modern, reunified, and democratic country in the heart of the European Union, home to the third-fastest growing Jewish community worldwide. Observing Shabbat and keeping a kosher diet are both possible on all Germany Close Up trips.
The seven day program between March 3 and 9 (arrival in Germany on March 2) will expose participants to Berlin’s multicultural life, allow them to visit sites such as a former concentration camp, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, and to experience other key historical sites and cultural venues. They will meet with German opinion-makers from the academic and political spheres, representatives of grass roots movements and the Jewish community, as well as German contemporaries. The role of Jewish voices in transatlantic relations will be explored as participants actively contribute to German-American dialogue.
The program will focus on the following topics:
- Berlin and united Germany
- The Holocaust and the Nazi Era (incl. a visit to a former Concentration Camp)
- Transatlantic/German-American relations (incl. a meeting with officials of the German Federal Foreign Office)
- Current German Politics
- Jewish Life in Berlin, past and present
- German-Israeli relations
- A visit to a city outside of Berlin
Details
Cost
US$950
This fee includes airfare, hotel accommodation in double rooms (3 star), most meals, and ground expenses. The scholarship does not include tipping. Please keep in mind that you will need to pay around 50€ (roughly US$55) for tips.
Flight reimbursement
If your airfare is lower than US$950, you are not eligible for a reimbursement and the remainder is due to Germany Close Up after the program's conclusion. If your airfare is more than US$950, you may be eligible for a partial flight reimbursement from Germany Close Up. Please note that this amount is capped and depends on your point of departure in the United States or Canada.
For participants departing from the New York or Washington D.C. greater metropolitan areas, the maximum reimbursement is US$50. For participants departing from elsewhere in the United States or Canada, the maximum reimbursement is US$250.
Only flight costs above the US$950 participation fee can be considered for a partial reimbursement. If your airfare is lower than US$950, you are not eligible for a reimbursement, but also aren’t expected to pay the difference to Germany Close Up.
For example:
For flight costs from Pittsburgh at US$1.200, you will be reimbursed US$250.
For flight costs from Pittsburgh at US$1.300, you will be reimbursed US$250.
Please note that miles, credit card points or trip insurances cannot be used for reimbursement purposes.
Reimbursement will take place several weeks after the program’s conclusion and will be coordinated by Hillel JUC. Please note that the reimbursement process can take up to three months.
Duration
Seven days. March 3-9, 2025
Further information
Application documents
online application form
resume
500 word essay about your interest in the program
One letter of recommendation (Hillel JUC external)
Application closes
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until December 1, 2024.
Please apply via our application form and be prepared to attach the documents listed above as a single pdf file.