About Eshkolot
Eshkolot, a non-profit organization, was established in 1983 as an educational umbrella body. Today it has 33 educational centers under its wing, from the Golan Heights to Eilat – 20 hiking and study centers running trainings through trips, tours, educational journeys, study days and conventions, and 13 "Israel Consciousness" centers running value-oriented instruction through seminars, plays and a variety of other activities.
Our centers also house 13 guest houses, spread out all over the country, which accommodate – year after year – schoolchildren, overseas delegations for Jewish projects, professional conferences and families from all sectors of the population.
All in all, Eshkolot centers host approximately one million students through the Ministry of Education, alongside hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers, families and senior citizens.
Eshkolot runs a national training system in its centers, with hundreds of top-quality, skilled and experienced tour guides and a special cadre of 120 National Service girls. The centers provide activities for a range of audiences and sectors: schoolchildren, adults, families, pre-military academies, IDF soldiers and officers, and many more. Activities take the form of nature hikes, city tours, workshops, seminars, plays and a diversity of educational programs connected to Jewish sources, knowledge and love of the Land and Jewish history and tradition. Through these activities, Eshkolot centers serve as a "creative hub" for shaping a Jewish-Zionist-Israeli consciousness.
The Home of Israeli Tour Guides
Eshkolot is the largest organization in Israel for training and providing continuing education to tour guides working with the Ministry of Education. Every year, Eshkolot trains hundreds of tour guides in courses and on regional campuses, arranges more than 100 conventions, study days and a range of continuing education programs for Education Ministry and Tourism Ministry guides.
National Flagship Projects
Eshkolot operates a variety of projects throughout the year – nature hikes, city tours, workshops, lectures, plays and diverse educational activity:
- "Israeli Holiday with Eshkolot" – tours and events all over the country for the general public.
- "Voyage Among Stars" – Nighttime outdoor activity including guided star gazing.
- "In Their Merit" and "In the Footsteps of the Fallen" – legacy tours in Israel's cemeteries around National Memorial Day.
- "My City's Heritage" – activity in the local authorities with specific historical content, designed to deepen the connection and affinity of residents to their city.
- "Along the Heritage Paths" – series of trips, tours and lectures for senior citizens.
Local Group Activities and Initiatives
In addition to national enterprises, Eshkolot runs local activities and projects on demand. For example:
- Educational trips and journeys according to topic or age, like "Bar/Bat Mitzvah Journeys," "From Shoah to Renewal," "Walking on Your Walls" in Jerusalem, and others.
- Empowering families and couples through workshops and diverse programs for couples, empowering women, sexuality, etc. while adapting content for different audiences.
- Breaking in new paths, beautifying observation points, agricultural work and archeological digs for youth and communities.
For further information about Eshkolot: eshkolot@eshkolot.org
