[Before continuing to any of the following steps, please make sure you have completed the online application.]

Application Stage II
Please start this process immediately after you have submitted your application.

In considering your candidacy for the program, we share your application and materials with your sponsoring Federation. We can only pass on your information to the Federation when we have conducted a short personal phone interview with you (which we will contact you about in the near future) and after we receive the following materials from you.

1. Adoptive Family Information Form - Please take a minute to complete the short adoptive family information form. Click here to complete the form now.
   
   
2. Brief Essay:  Please answer all of the following questions in a document. If possible, please keep it under two double-spaced pages.  When you have completed your essay, email it to otzma@israelexperience.org.il  In the subject line, please include a) your full name and b) the words "OTZMA Essay'"
   
   Essay Questions:  
        A) Why do you want to participate on OTZMA? 
        B) What do you hope to contribute to the group? 
        C) What do you hope to gain from the experience personally? Professionally? 
        D) What do you see as your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a leader? 
        E) What are your concerns about the program?
   
   
3. Your Resume & Photograph - Please send a copy of your resume and a passport-type digital photograph to otzma@israelexperience.org.il In the subject line, please include a) your full name and b) the words "OTZMA resume & photo."
   
   
4. References - We need two references for your application. Include at least one from a professor who has worked closely with you and one from an employer or supervisor who is well acquainted with your work experience. References from relatives, family friends or personal friends will not be accepted. Download the Reference Form here.
   
   References may email their reference letter directly to otzma@israelexperience.org.il with the subject "OTZMA Applicant Reference" or mailed in a sealed envelope to:
   
   OTZMA
   Israel Experience
   Kiryat Moriah
   Ha'Askan 3
   Jerusalem, ISRAEL

otzma@israelexperience.org.il
1-877-GO-OTZMA (466-8962)
Fax: 972-2-621-6158

  Application Fee - An application fee of $60 is due before your we can transfer your application information to the Federation. Payment collection is done through Paypal.

 

The following information is not necessary for us to have in hand before transferring you information to the Federation. However, we will need the medical information before we can make a final acceptance decision and we highly advise applying for the Masa grant and financial aid as soon as possible as the process can take a bit of time.

• Personal Health History and Medical Form - Please download the form here and print. Complete the first section yourself immediately and email it to otzma@israelexperience.org.il   Give the last three pages to your physician to complete. The physical exam must be conducted by a licensed physician who is not related to you. Note that you are responsible for returning both parts of the medical form to OTZMA via fax or mail.

              

 

Apply for $4500 - $7500 in Masa Grants | Apply now | Learn more.
Each OTZMA participant is eligible to receive an automatic grant of $4500 from the Masa Israel Journey initiative -- assuming you apply for it and have not used your "Masa" rights in the past. Those participants who can prove that they are independent and not otherwise supported financially can receive an additional $3000 in financial aid from Masa. What's more, qualifying for financial aid is a relatively simple process. Learn more here.

• Letter of "Good Standing" - This a letter that applicants can obtain from their local municipality or police station. The letter basically gives witness to the fact that our participants are citizens of good standing without legal or criminal backgrounds. This letter is important since many OTZMAnikim work with young children in Israel.

If you have any questions at any point during the application process, please feel free to contact us.

Application Process | An Overview

Applications are reviewed and participants accepted on a rolling basis.  To expedite your candidacy, we encourage all applicants to strive to complete all parts of the application for which they are responsible as soon as possible. By doing so we can provide an acceptance decision with the shortest possible time.

Steps of the application process are outlined below:

1. Submit an online application.
2. Continue to Application Stage II materials page and complete the tasks outlined there. 
3. Initial Phone Conversation - A day or two after you apply, one of our North American staff members will be in touch to arrange a short phone conversation with you to discuss your desire to join OTZMA. You'll need to let us know when a good time for us to contact you.
4. Federation Considers Your Candidacy - After a successful conversation and once we have Application Stage II materials in-hand, we'll be able to transfer your application to our representative at your sponsoring Federation.  They will review your materials and arrange for an on-site interview.
5. Applicant Interview with Federation - You will be invited to visit your local Federation to interview with the representative and/or committee responsible for OTZMA.
6. Federation Reports on Interviews to OTZMA National Office - The local Federation provides a report and their assessment of your candidacy.
7. Acceptance Decision - The OTZMA National Office will give the applicant a final acceptance decision soon after receiving reports from the Federation, on condition that all applicant materials have been submitted. This letter will be sent out first via email, followed by a hard copy in the mail.

At any stage during the process you may apply for between $4500 - $7500 in Masa grants (for 10-months) or $3,000 (for 5-months). Learn more about the Masa grants or apply for Masa grants now.

If you have any questions about the OTZMA application process, please contact us.