To apply for the Project TEN program at Arad, Israel, please click here.

The next Project TEN groups in Arad will take place on the following dates:

(Dates may change slightly; contact our staff at [email protected] for updates).

Project TEN is a service-learning program: you’ll build your Jewish identity while also building up Arad. Participants work for up to nine hours each day on projects that are developed in conjunction with local organizations. Study sessions take place 3 to 4 times each week, and feature interactive approaches to exploring Jewish values, with reflection and feedback; these sessions serve as a platform for developing the group as a strong, cohesive community. Your group will spend several nights a week together in organized social and learning activities, including dinner on Shabbat Eve.

Accomodations include several apartments with a kitchenette, a bathroom and a closet, as well as basic furniture. These apartments, which can house two participants, are located in the center of the city, some 5-10 minutes walk from a mall, a health clinic, post office, banks, a supermarket, a community center, a country club and tennis club, and the central bus station. 

You will room together with a fellow Project TEN participant from Israel or the Diaspora, and will be able to use the local facilities - such as a music room and a dance studio, and take classes in Kabbala, Yoga, meditation and more. 

Arad is on the border of the Negev and Judean Deserts, 15 miles from the Dead Sea and 28 miles from Be’er Sheva. It is also the closest town to the “Roman Ramp” entrance to Masada.

Arad was founded in 1962 and after slow but steady growth was declared a city in 1995. Arad currently has a population of around 24,200. Its population is diverse, including secular and religious Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews; Bedouins; and Black Hebrews. More recently, it has also become home to many new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, as well as to a community of Ultra-Orthodox Hassidim. Additionally, there has recently been an influx of refugees from Darfur who settle in Arad.

The city of Arad was once a hub of economic stability and tourism, famous world-wide for its exceptionally clear air and proximity to well-known tourist attractions. However, in the last 20 years, the social and economic profile of Arad has changed significantly, with influxes of immigrants and other vulnerable populations with particular cultural needs. The city is now struggling with rampant poverty. The level of unemployment has risen and the rates of high school students who pass their matriculation exams (necessary for university admission) have dropped dramatically. As a result, the education and welfare systems in Arad are overwhelmed; additionally, negative migration – the moving out of Arad’s young people, who seek opportunities elsewhere for advancement – is one of the city’s great challenges.

Arad has a commercial center with a shopping mall (in addition to small clusters of shops in each neighborhood), and an open-air market open once a week. The industrial area includes several manufacturing plants that provide employment to large numbers of residents. In addition to its many schools and parks, it has a “matnas” (community center for sports, culture, and youth activities), which includes the public library and a concert hall. There is an artists’ quarter in the industrial zone, and a cluster of recreational facilities in the Ayanot neighborhood includes a swimming pool and tennis courts. Arad also has “professional” and “expert” mountain biking courses, and hosts an annual mountain-biking tournament.

Each TEN Center is overseen by a Center Director and an Educational Coordinator, and the daily work and relationship with the local partners are supervised by Coordinators, who are available to their volunteers 24 hours a day.

The unsubsidized cost for the Project TEN and Masa Tlalim program in Israel, including volunteer, social, and learning activities; transportation between the center and your volunteer placement; and subsidized food and lodging, is $4,500. However, Project TEN and Masa Tlalim participants in Israel (who are coming from abroad) are eligible for significant grants and scholarships from Masa Israel Journey, which can bring down your expenses to just under $10 per day - participants who are eligible for a full Masa grant will pay only $1,500 for an entire five-month track, while participants who aren't eligible for a full Masa grant will pay $1,800 for a five-month track; both grants include health insurance.

Costs do not include your airfare, visa fees, or vaccinations.

Upon acceptance to the program you will be given instructions to reserve your place with a $75 application fee. The balance will be paid prior to arrival.

Financial Aid
For information about the Pay It Forward Fund, which might subsidize up to 50 percent of your costs -- with your pledge to pay back the scholarship in the next few years to provide aid to future volunteers -- please go to our cost section.

Remember, Project TEN participants in Israel are eligible for grants and scholarships from Masa Israel Journey - see above!

During your three months with Project TEN you will be working very hard at your volunteer service, Jewish learning, and other responsibilities. Although you will see much of the region through excursions and trips as part of your service learning and your Israel Pathways seminars, you might additionally be interested in touring the region on your own. If you want to arrive in Israel or the Galilee early or stay after Project TEN, and visit the sites on your own time, you are welcome to do so.

In and Around Arad

Hiking and Biking: surrounded by desert and many well-marked trails, Arad is a perfect base for hiking and biking. In particular, The Israel National Trail passes through Arad, between Mount Kina and Tel Arad. Nearby, the Zohar Peak and the Zohar Lookout are common hiking and biking destinations on the trail.

Tel Arad: is located 5 miles west of the modern city of Arad. A “tel” is an archeological phenomenon in which various cultures built homes on top of the site of previous cultures’ homes, creating layers ever-older archeological finds the deeper one goes. Tel Arad holds evidence of a Bronze Age Canaanite settlement; an Israelite settlement during the times of Kings David and Solomon; and activity during the Persian, Maccabean, Roman, and early Muslim eras. Several citadels were built one atop the other there, including a Jewish “House of the Lord” from around 600 BCE.

Kfar Nokdim: A bit off the road between Arad and Masada, Kfar Nokdim offers camel riding, Bedouin-style meals, and accommodations to visitors.

Around the Negev

Buses from Arad can easily bring you to Ein Bokek, a popular tourist destination on the Dead Sea, as well as Ein Gedi, a beautiful hiking area that ends at waterfalls. Buses can also take you to Be’er Sheva, a more major city with a wider choice of restaurants and shops, as well as movie theaters and other cultural activities.

From Be’er Sheva, buses are available to the Ramon Crater, where you can go jeeping, rapeling, or hiking (or just enjoy the view), and to points in the Arava Valley. These regions boast many unique local attractions, such as “desert archery” and national parks nestled around archeological sites. If you are interested in ecology, environmentalism, or camping, the Negev and Arava will be unforgettable.

Around Israel

Buses are available from Arad to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and from there (or from Be’er Sheva) you can catch buses to points all over Israel: westward to the southern coast; north to the northern coast, the Galilee, or the Golan; or south to Eilat.

Climate: Arad is moderately hot in the summer, with temperatures in the 80’s (Fahrenheit), and moderately cold in the winter, with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s. The air in Arad is dry and clear. It rains mostly during the winter (almost never during the summer). On rare occasions, during the winter, it may get cold enough to snow, but this is highly unusual.

Time Zone: All of Israel is in the GMT +2 time zone. Most of the year it is seven hours ahead of New York City.

Currency: Israel uses the New Israeli Shekel (or "shekel," or NIS). One shekel is equivalent to 100 agurot. The value of the shekel fluctuates, but currently one US dollar is equivalent to about 4 NIS. So, when you come across an item to buy, if you divide the cost by 4, you'll get the approximate dollar value.

As examples to help you budget, here are some typical costs of products or services in Israel: A movie costs about 35 NIS; a small cappuccino at a café is about 15 NIS; a slice of pizza is 10-13 NIS; a large whole pizza is 50-60 NIS; a shawarma plus drink is 35-40 NIS; a dozen eggs is about 11 NIS; a small container of cottage cheese is about 6 NIS. The bus from Arad to Be’er Sheva is 19 NIS (one way); to Jerusalem is 65 NIS; and to Tel Aviv is 40 NIS.

Electricity Supply: Israel uses 230 volts, 50 cycle AC. We recommend you bring a multi-outlet plug adaptor.

Getting Around: Arad has a fairly extensive intra-city bus system. Additionally, the “urban” (settled) areas of Arad are geographically small, relative to other cities, so walking is do-able and taxis are inexpensive. Buses are available throughout the day to Be’er Sheva and Jerusalem; 4 buses leave daily for Tel Aviv.