Despite the situation in Israel, this year saw a record high of young Jewish youths coming to Israel - over 30,000 arrive on short-term programs.

Around 700 Jewish grade 12 pupils from 12 Jewish high schools in France landed in Israel on Sunday December 12 for a visit in the framework of the "blue and white high school seniors" program of the Jewish Agency. The youths, from high schools in Paris, Marseilles and Strasbourg, visited historical sites as well as universities and colleges and learned about the history of the State of Israel and its heritage.

This year, a record number of Jewish young people arrived in Israel - over 30,000 young people from around the world visited Israel on short term educational programs of the Jewish Agency.

At the end of January, 300 high school seniors from South Africa will arrive, representing 60% of the high school seniors in Jewish schools in that country.

The Jewish Agency emphasizes that the recovery of Zionist tourism to Israel is significant, since it comes despite the cuts in program subsidies due to the financial situation and the recession in Israel. Even so, it seems that the intifada no longer poses a barrier for thousands of Jewish youths from the Diaspora interested in spending time in Israel during school break. The Jewish Agency ran a special marketing drive in recent months in Jewish communities around the world in order to convince young Jews, and not least their parents, that it is possible to visit Israel even in this period.

Reception ceremony, with Hanukah jelly doughnuts, for 700 French high school seniors was held on Sunday December 12 at 15:00 in "Independence Hall", 16 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv.

Last Updated December 26, 2004