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volunteer with hayovel

Experience Israel’s biblical heartland through faith-based volunteering.

  • Get your fingers dirty in Israel’s soil
  • Meet the local people
  • Make a lasting impact through volunteering
  • Fulfill 3,000 year-old prophecy
  • Go off the beaten track

WARNING: our programs are not your typical Israel trip.

We have five different types of trips.

Select one below to see more details, dates, and prices.

Heartland Experience

Grape Harvest

Tree Planting

Pruning

Special Ops

Our programs are centered around volunteering for small Jewish farmers in Judea and Samaria, while at the same time giving you the experience of a lifetime.

We have volunteer trips for everyone.

No prior agricultural experience needed. Everyone is welcome – young and old, men and women, families and singles.

No tour buses are involved in our trips.

(okay, sometimes we use a bus, but we usually get it dirty)

 

Here’s what a trip looks like:

Volunteer

  • In the late summer and fall, work out in the fields harvesting grapes.
  • In the winter and spring, work out in the fields pruning grapevines.
  • Plant trees (year-round)
  • Harvest other types of produce or help with farm projects depending on the season.

Experience Israel

  • Every place we volunteer is a place you can read about in your Bible!
  • Many volunteer days are combined with an opportunity to visit a biblical or historical site.
  • Go off the beaten track and experience the places where most tours don't get to go.

Meet Israel’s Pioneers

  • As you volunteer and travel throughout Israel's heartland, you'll have the opportunity to meet and spend time with locals inside their homes and communities.
  • Israel's pioneers and influencers will visit our volunteer base in the evenings to speak and share their stories.

Be Immersed in Jewish Culture

  • Celebrate festivals and holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot or Purim (depending on the season and trip dates)
  • Celebrate a fun, inspiring and memorable Israel-style Shabbat every Friday evening/Saturday
  • Grow in your faith through weekly teachings and Bible studies that focus on Israel.

Make a Difference

  • Show the people of Israel your support in a real and tangible way that leaves them encouraged, strengthened and even speechless.
  • Every day is an opportunity to bless the farmers and people of Israel’s heartland in a powerful and impactful way.
  • Buy your souvenirs from local family-owned businesses in Judea and Samaria

Become Equipped

  • Receive real, first-hand experience that will enable you to be an authority in discussions about Israel.
  • Receive training that will enable you to be advocate to your family and community on behalf of Israel.
  • Take home the tools you need to be an ambassador for Israel.

How does it work?

Signing up for a trip is simple. All you have to do is follow these 4 easy steps.

Choose Your Trip

Talk With Our Team

Buy Your Plane Ticket

Come to Israel

Select a trip to see dates and prices:

Heartland Experience

Grape Harvest

Tree Planting

Pruning

Special Ops

This is what others are saying . . .

This was the experience of a lifetime. Knowing you are fulfilling prophecy by working the vineyards in Samaria has been the most fulfilling event in my spiritual life since my salvation experience in 1970.

 

Paul
from Oklahoma, USA

I experienced the Bible, the Word of God, not anymore as reading a book, but alive. The places and events from the past and nowadays are now connected in my mind and I have started to understand in a different way my Bible. I discovered a completely new world for me.

Valentin
from Sofia, Bulgaria

Seeing first hand biblical prophecy coming to life as we worked in the vineyards was very gratifying. We are thankful to have been able to experience Israel with the other volunteers from all over the world as well as the HaYovel staff. You made us feel very welcome and gave us great insight into the land of Israel.

Blaine & Lori
from Iowa, USA

The time I spent with HaYovel was the greatest and most unforgettable time I have ever had, in my trips to Israel… It was such a blessing to work side by side, with my brethren, picking grapes, touring, and meeting our Jewish friends.

 

Mary
from Texas, USA

I’ve been to several pruning trips with HaYovel, and each one has been very life changing and defining for me as a man. I would highly recommend the pruning trip to any man that places a high value on pursuing God, investing in the lives of others, and being challenged to grow as a man.

Joseph
from Colorado, USA

I love the God of the Bible… Serving in His Land and among His People has allowed me to get to know Him in a deeper, more real way. Now I read the stories in the Bible with different eyes. Before, I read the play; now I have been on the stage and it has all become so much more ALIVE and REAL!!!!

Renee
from Colorado, USA

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to go to Israel?

Traveling to Israel and spending time volunteering in Judea and Samaria (this area is also known as the West Bank) is much safer than you think.

In Israel, yes, there are terror attacks that happen, and tragically, there have been people killed. But having spent the last eighteen years working in Israel and hosting volunteer programs, we can guarantee you that coming to Israel is much safer than one would assume from watching international news. Because Israel is so much in the international spotlight, every single incident that happens tends to hit major news headlines around the globe. To the average person who has never been to Israel, it can give the impression that Israel is a very dangerous place.

Think about the nearest large city to where you live (or perhaps you live in a big city). If you follow your local news channel, you know that there are robberies, burglaries, and even shootings and murders that happen on a weekly, if not daily, basis. No matter where you are in the world, there is some degree of risk.

 
Our volunteer base camp is located within secure perimeters that are protected by the Israeli military day and night. In addition to this, there is Israeli military presence guarding the roads and highways that we travel to get to and from different locations as we volunteer and tour.
 
 

Are there any vaccination or COVID-19 testing requirements?

No vaccine is required. As of March 1, 2022, Israel is welcoming foreigners from abroad regardless of vaccination status or COVID recovery status.

No testing is required. As of May 20, 2022, all PCR testing and quarantine requirements have been lifted for foreigners entering Israel from abroad.

What is the volunteer work like?

We volunteer on small farms owned by Jewish people throughout the mountains of central Israel. Historically, this area was known for its world-class vineyards and the prophets of the bible specifically mention grapes, vineyards and wine when speaking about the restoration that God promised He would bring back to the Land of Israel. Because of this, the biggest need that the farmers have is for help in the vineyards.

This is quite significant because the prophet Isaiah wrote over 2,700 years ago about the day when foreigners would come to Israel from other nations to tend and harvest the vineyards (see Isaiah chapter 61). This is happening for the first time in our generation!

From late July to late October is the harvest season where the grapes ripen (different grapes ripen at different times throughout these several months). If you come during this time of the year, volunteer work will mostly consist of harvesting grapes on farms throughout Israel.

The winter pruning season begins in mid-January and goes until mid-March. This is when all the vines lose their leaves and go dormant. Each vine needs to be pruned by hand and have all the branches cut back. This is a crucial process to maintain the health of the vine and ensure a bountiful harvest later in the year. If you come during this season (our men’s trip) volunteer work will consist mostly of pruning vines.

Other volunteer work that we do at various times of the year include planting trees, planting new vineyards, and harvesting various types of produce.

Working on the farms of Israel is fun and not overly-strenuous. You’ll enjoy it! We try to get up early each morning and make it out to the fields by sunrise so that we can work during the coolest and most pleasant part of the day. We usually wrap up work in the early afternoon and have the rest of the day to explore biblical and historical sites in the area (or go back to camp for a nap, fellowship with other volunteers, or relaxation time before dinner).

How much does it cost?

The typical cost to come on one of our volunteer trips is $1,200 per person for a 2-week trip and $1,600 per person for a 3-week trip. Our Heartland Experience trip costs more ($2,750 per person for a 2-week trip) because it includes touring, site and museum admission fees, and several nights in a hotel. On average, our trip costs are about half of what it costs to come on a typical Israel tour of the same length.

This trip cost includes all your food, housing and transportation as well as your visa to enter the country. This cost does not include airfare from your hometown to the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The cost for airfare to Israel depends on where you live and what time of year you are flying. The average cost to fly from the United States or Canada is between $800 and $1,200 per person, round-trip.

Coming as a family? We have great family discounts! Children ages 6 to 12 get 50% off, children 0 to 5 get 80% off, and every 4th adult family member (13 and older) is free!

What ages are these trips suitable for?

  • For our grape harvest and tree planting trips, we welcome any volunteers age 18 to 75. Children ages zero to 18 are also welcome on our harvest and tree planting trips, but they must come with a parent.
  • For our Heartland Experience trips, we welcome people of all ages. Children under the age of 18 must come with a parent.
  • For our men’s pruning trips, we welcome men ages 18 to 75. Boys from age 12 to 17 are also welcome, but they must come with their father. We do not allow pruning trip applicants under the age of 12 or over the age 75.
  • For our Special Ops trip, we only allow young men and young women ages 18 to 35.
  • Our organization is very family-friendly, and our staff families have children of all ages. We encourage families to bring their children and come together for our grape harvest, tree planting, or Heartland Experience trips. There is something for everyone to do in the vineyard or at the forestry site! We have many families come with babies who accompany mom and dad to the fields in a stroller or carrier.
  • We also love to have senior citizens join us for our volunteer programs, although please be aware that our volunteer work is mainly done on rocky mountainsides, and in the summer, it does get very hot. We encourage those who are coming to prepare themselves physically by spending time outside, taking walks, and getting some exercise in the weeks leading up to their Israel trip. If you are concerned that climbing hills and traversing steep, rocky terrain might be too strenuous for you, consider coming on one of our Heartland Experience trips. The workload is much lighter, it’s not in the summer heat, and you will still get the opportunity to do some volunteer service.
  • You should be physically fit and in good health before coming to Israel. Applicants aged 60 to 75 will be asked for a signed letter from their doctor giving permission to travel internationally and participate in this program.

What are the accommodations like?

You’ll be staying in a room at our volunteer campus on the Mount of Blessing, located in central Israel. Our accommodations are similar to a hostel and are simple, but still comfortable and with all basic amenities. Restrooms and showers are located in a separate building. If you come with your spouse or your family, you’ll be rooming with them. If you come by yourself, you will room with one or two fellow volunteers.

Linens are provided. Towels, soap, shampoo, and other amenities are not provided – you will need to bring your own.

There are no additional costs for lodging. Everything is included in the price of the trip.

Most tours do not cross into the so-called West Bank.

This is a shame, because 85% of our bible was either written, or took place in Israel’s rich heartland.

For the last eighteen years, HaYovel has been bringing Christians from all over the world to Judea and Samaria. This has given us the opportunity to serve 12-15 small farmers every year located all throughout the region.

Even though our programs focus on volunteer service, we find that most people connect to the land and people of Israel in an incredibly deep way.

Imagine harvesting grapes across the street from where the tabernacle stood for 369 years.

Or picture yourself pruning vines on the Mount of Blessing where Jesus ministered to the woman at the well. You will meet the local people of Judea and hear their stories of courage and pioneering.

The Scriptures are replete with prophecies about Israel’s mountains and heartland coming back to life. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Amos talk about the mountains blooming, vineyards coming back to life, the Jewish people settling here once again, AND the nations coming to participate in all of these prophetic acts. That means YOU!

Come to Israel with one of our programs.

It’s a deep dive into the restoration of God’s Kingdom and a powerful investment into the land and people of Israel. Instead of just sitting on the sidelines, you will have an active role in this exciting story!

Still wondering if this is for you?

Don't miss these inspiring videos that will give you a picture of what it's like to volunteer.

Christians and Jews Making History Together

No Excuses!

If God makes a promise . . .

What God is telling you . . .

Get started by selecting an option below:

Heartland Experience

Grape Harvest

Tree Planting

Pruning

Special Ops