Despite the ongoing violence in Israel, a group of Penn State students will partake in a 10-day, all-expense paid trip to Israel this winter break.

Birthright Israel is open to Jewish people between the ages of 18 to 26 who have never traveled to Israel with a group of peers. Its mission is to strengthen young Jews' connection to the state of Israel and the Jewish community.

Penn State students who want to travel to Israel have had fewer options since the university postponed its programs in the country.

"Travel to Israel from the university abroad programs has been suspended due to State Department travel advisories until they become more positive," said John Keller, director of education abroad programs.

Because of this, Penn State students have been looking to programs like Birthright Israel to gain educational experience in the country.

Though safety has always been a concern for the organization, the mounting violence in the region since September 2000 has caused the group to take specific actions to ensure that the program can run safely.

As the Israeli tourist economy is plummeting, the organization knows students will be hesitant about the danger in Israel. As a result, the Israeli government will now keep tabs on each student throughout the trip, and two armed guards will accompany the group at all times.

In addition, the new program provides that the group will never enter a restaurant, cafe or community setting until it is totally vacated by the public. If an area seems unsafe, the group will modify its itinerary and a protocol for evacuation will go into effect.

Students will no longer go to Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, which is filled with clubs and markets that typify Israeli culture, because it is a key target of terrorism. Instead, vendors will be brought to students so that they will get a taste of what a marketplace would be like without going to a potentially dangerous public area.

Rafael Mandler (senior-computer engineering), a student who traveled to Israel with Birthright Israel in 2001, said it is important to realize the danger in making the trip.

"Though it was a great opportunity, at times like these you don't want to be a martyr." he said. "You have to be practical about taking such a trip though it's a shame that decreased tourism must be the byproduct to war"

However, Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow, Matthew Fernandez Konigsberg, stresses the importance of showing support to Israel today.

"The ultimate way of expressing someone's support is to travel to the place they live, now more than ever, in a time of intense scrutiny and major economic difficulties when the economy is low," said Konigsberg, who is an employee of Penn State Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

During the trip, students will explore all aspects of Israeli culture from riding camels in the Old City of Jerusalem to exploring the Dead Sea.

Kristin Goldman (junior-statistics) intends to take advantage of the Birthright Israel program despite the possible risks.

"I'm not scared to go. Bad things happen to people everywhere, and I would never want to give up the opportunity to see all that I've learned in my Bible studies courses come to life," she said.

Jewish Penn State students are invited to participate in this program by registering with either Hillel or Chabad by tomorrrow.

More than 30,000 students participated in Birthright Israel since its inception in 1998, and 6,000 students are expected to take part in it this year.