NEW YORK – Taglit-Birthright Israel, the organization responsible for sending over 400,000 young Jewish adults on a free 10-day trip to Israel to learn about their heritage, will launch its improved application portal for its 2014/2015 Winter season. Registration opened Tues., Sept. 9.

The new registration process will provide an improved user-friendly experience, allowing applicants to select the exact date of their national, niche, campus or community trip and plan according to their schedules.

“We are thrilled to kick off the winter season with this new registration process,” said Taglit-Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark. “All of our participants are either in school or work full-time. With a more precise scheduling process, registrants can plan around their school or work vacations. Now, they can even choose the same trip as their friends.”

The non-profit group is currently celebrating its 14th anniversary year. Taglit-Birthright Israel has become a “rite of passage” for Jewish adults between the ages of 18 to 26. The trip aims to strengthen each participant’s Jewish identity; to build an understanding, friendship and lasting bond with the land and people of Israel; and to reinforce the solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide.

Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent Jewish young adults to Israel from 66 countries, from all 50 U.S. states, including students from nearly 1,000 North American college campuses. Attendees are immersed in an active educational experience that includes visits to Jewish historical sites, history museums, Holocaust remembrance sites, the Western Wall, arts and culture programs as well as, touring, hiking, discussions, social events, camel and jeep rides in the desert and more. The trip focuses on three main areas: the narratives of the Jewish people, contemporary Israel, and the formative values of Judaism.

Taglit-Birthright Israel is a partnership between the Government of Israel, private philanthropists and Jewish communities around the world including the Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren Hayesod. For additional questions on registration for winter trips, please call the Taglit-Birthright Israel Hotline at 1-888-994-7723.