FAQs

After the horrific assault by Hamas on October 7, Israel has declared a state of war. While Tel Aviv has since gone back to a new kind of "normal" the security situation on the northern and southern borders is still tense. Rockets are still being fired on Israel by Hamas in the southern area and Hezbollah in the north. Due to the ongoing war, the travel warning by the Foreign Ministry is still in place, however, as of March 2024, on-site internships have been resumed, in accordance with certain precautions. As long as the travel warning is in place, remote internships are possible as well. 

Volunteering at a kibbutz in Israel has a long tradition, but Israel is no longer known (only) for its export of agricultural goods. Startup nation and hi-tech superpower - these are the attributes that come up when Israel's economy is mentioned. While back then young people from Germany traveled to Israel to volunteer in kibbutzim to boost agriculture and vigorously help out in the orange plantations, today students from all over Germany are more interested in the startup ecosystem and want to find out the reasons for its rapid development. "New Kibbutz" takes this very development into account and helps to accommodate German students in the Israeli hi-tech scene.

To find out more about the background of this program please klick here.

The application must be submitted in English and through the online form. Fill out the form and upload the required files. Please note that you can only apply for the New Kibbutz Program in general and not for a specific internship position. Nevertheless, you can choose three favorite internship positions from the list of internship positions and then submit these in the third section of the application 'Preferred Internships'. 

Once you received a confirmation from the AHK and the Israeli company about a successful internship placement, you can apply for funding by the DAAD. You can only submit your application for the funding by the DAAD at the dedicated DAAD-portal.

For more information about the application process for funding by the DAAD please klick here.

To put it simple, the New Kibbutz Program helps you to find an internship position at an Israeli startup. Once you have been accepted for an internship, you can apply for the scholarship at the DAAD. Please note that these are two different application procedures, each with its own application process as listed in detail on the section "Bewerbungsverfahren"! (English speakers, please use google translate as long as this site is only available in German).

The application for an internship must be submitted via the AHK Israel online portal no later than four months before the start of the internship. Did you just miss the deadline? Don't panic. Please reach out and we'll see what we can do ;)

Since the New Kibbutz Program and especially the startup scene in Israel are very dynamic, we recommend to submit your application for an internship 6 months before the start of the internship at the earliest. In case you are a super-early bird and must submit your application, let's say, 8 months before the start date, please note that we will probably not be able to start the "matching"-process right away, but rather keep your application on hold until the start date gets closer.

There are two basic requirements. First of all, you must be an enrolled student at a university (Universität/Hochschule) for the entire duration of your internship, and secondly, your business English must be fluent. For more detailed information about requirements please click here. If you meet the requirements, please continue with the application procedure here. 

Once we have successfully received the application, we will check whether it meets the requirements of the New Kibbutz Program and the preferred internship positions you have indicated, and, of course, if there are vacancies for the internship period you have indicated. Valid applications are then forwarded to the Israeli companies specified in the application. In case the company is interested in your application, we will introduce you to our contact person so they can set up an interview with you. For more detailed information about the application procedure please klick here.

No, german students who are enrolled at a foreign university in a third country and are not permanently living in Israel at the time of application, are also entitled to participate. Foreign students who are pursuing a degree in Germany are entitled to participate as well. 

Please klick here to download the letter of approval.

In the application form you are twice required to fill in a date for 'Date of Birth*' and 'Preferred Start Date*' in the format 'dd/mm/yyyy'. Please be aware that you MUST use the dropdown menu on the right side to enter the date. By entering the date manually the system can not accept your entry.

The transcript of records is a document certifying your progress in your studies. For Bachelor students it can be a form with credit points earned so far. For Master students it can be a copy of the Bachelor certificate.

The motivation letter should be formulated in general terms and not refer to a specific position. It could be about your interest in Israel, the startup scene, your internship abroad, etc.

If you would like to submit an additional letter of motivation for a specific position, you are welcome to send it to Liron Koll by e-mail.

No, it is not necessary to upload further references, because your CV and your letter of motivation are most important. Generally speaking, in Israel you will ultimately convince with your personality (e.g., when it comes to an interview via Zoom) and less with what is written on paper - unlike in Germany, for example. 

If you would like to submit an additional letter of motivation for a specific position, you are welcome to send it to Liron Koll by e-mail.

In order to carry out the internship within the framework of the New Kibbutz Program and therefore be able enjoy the benefits of it, the company must have a cooperation with the AHK Israel. It might be the case that you find a startup that is not part of the program, yet, but would offer you an internship position. In case the company would then be interested to be part of the New Kibbutz program, you are welcome to make the contact between the company and Liron Koll for further procedure.

Of course, it depends on the company. As soon as the company notifies us, please be assured that we will forward this information to you right away. The chain of communication might be a bit longer in more mature companies, while startups are usually quick to reply. In case you have not heard back from us within more than 3 weeks, please make sure to follow up with us. We ask to refrain from premature inquiries about the interim status of your application process.

Please note that there are different deadlines for the application for the New Kibbutz Program and the application for funding by the DAAD! The application for the scholarship must be submitted via the DAAD portal 46 calendar days before the start of the internship, at the latest. The application for the internship must be submitted at least four months before the start of the internship. 

In order to be able to apply for the scholarship via the DAAD you must be accepted for the participation in the New Kibbutz Program in the first place. You also need to be an enrolled student in at least the second semester of an undergraduate program. Please note that you must be enrolled during the whole period of the internship. For more information please visit: DAAD Stipendiendatenbank.

There are great financial benefits like a monthly scholarship payment, a one-time travel allowance, insurance benefits and cost absorption of the agency fees. For more detailed information click here.

The internship and the scholarship can not be extended once the internship has started.