It started in 2008 as just an idea, and 18 years later, JLI’s annual Israel trip has become one of its signature events. Land and Spirit 2026, scheduled for March 9-15, is already sold out, with over 500 participants representing more than 60 communities, and more joining the waitlist every day.
What sets Land & Spirit apart is how it weaves Torah and Chassidus study directly into the journey itself. Guided by the Land and Spirit Steering Committee of Rabbis Yechiel Baitelman, Dovid Flinkenstein, Chanoch Kaplan, Levi Klein, Mendy Mangel and Sholom Raichik, Shluchim have the opportunity to travel alongside their community members throughout the week, transforming iconic sites into living classrooms. Pair that with top-tier amenities and a carefully curated minute-to-minute itinerary, and it is the perfect recipe to connect every Jew to the Land, the people, and their Shliach.
“You never feel like a tourist, but rather, a resident,” says Elaine Epstein from Okemos, Michigan. That sense of home begins with the trip’s spiritual anchors. At the Kosel, Kever Rochel, and Mearas Hamachpelah in Chevron, the weight of Jewish history becomes tangible, and participants experience personal tefillah in an entirely new way.
Perhaps the most sobering and essential element of the 2026 trip is witnessing the reality of October 7. Participants will visit devastated communities in the south, the Nova festival site, meet survivors, and hear firsthand accounts of that dark day and its aftermath.
“This trip was beyond my wildest expectations,” shares Elaine Brodsky of Long Beach, NY, about the 2024 trip. “I was not sure it was safe to go, and I am so happy that I went and saw the truth about what is really going on and the resiliency and positivity of the people we interacted with.”
Beyond the famous sites, Land & Spirit opens doors to Israel’s hidden treasures. Participants gain exclusive access to archaeological sites like Beit Guvrin, meet unique individuals—such as artists in Tzfas and heroic IDF soldiers—discover tucked-away viewpoints like Moshav Tal Shachar, and visit visionary organizations like the Save a Child’s Heart Foundation.
One of the trip’s highlights is Shabbos in Yerushalayim. As the city transforms and the holy day descends, participants experience something that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world: Kabbalas Shabbos with thousands of Jews at the Kosel, meals filled with song and meaning, culminating in a musical Havdalah ceremony overlooking the Old City. “I felt as though I was home, so rooted in the ground that I walked upon,” recalls Elizabeth Sara Lihn from Ventnor City, NJ.
The trip lasts far longer than the week spent in Israel. The connections formed—between participants and Israel, between community peers, between families and their shliach—endure long after returning home. As Ellen Rossi from Memphis, TN, put it: “Your life is not complete until you tour Israel with Land and Spirit.”
