FAQ

The TAMID Fellowship is an 8-week summer internship program in Israel. Fellows live in Israel and work full-time for an Israeli host company, with an expectation that they will be assigned challenging projects and be mentored by a supervisor.

Consulting projects are conducted remotely, by larger teams. During the school year, TAMID consulting teams of 4-8 students work to help Israeli companies solve challenging business problems. For the students, the consulting projects are an intensive extracurricular activity. They communicate with a point of contact at the company throughout the semester, leading to a final presentation of the team’s solution.

Our students are elite, and they undergo a selective application process to earn acceptance into TAMID. Their first semester in TAMID is spent on an interactive education curriculum that prepares them to do high-level work for your company.

Being on university campuses brings its own set of advantages. First, our students understand the market for your company’s product or service. Second, they have access to research tools and faculty. Third, our students are in the midst of studying solutions to the challenges that many companies are facing.

Ultimately, the proof is in the results. Every year, TAMID’s reputation amongst Israeli companies gets better, and the number of requests for consulting projects and interns increases.

Consulting teams can work on projects in the following areas:

• Market entry & sales strategy
• Partnership advising
• Financial modeling
• Market research & customer segmentation
• Industry projections & competitive analysis
• Marketing & brand strategy
• Data analysis
• Product development
• App/website development
• Back-end technologyProjects must be oriented towards strategic problem-solving. Do not expect consultants to take sales roles.

TAMID Fellows choose to join the TAMID Fellowship over high-paying internships with prestigious consulting, tech, and financial firms. Thus, they expect to have a high-level experience of “learning by doing.” They do understand that the dynamic nature of a startup company can lead to a wide variety of tasks—some more challenging than others. But the interns expect to finish the summer with tangible accomplishments and learning experiences; days spent making copies or sorting mail are not acceptable.

Internship experiences are most valuable for companies and students when the intern has one or two large projects to work on over the course of a summer. Each intern comes with their own set of skills, but in general, they may be interested in:

• Marketing
• Product management
• Financial analysis
• Planning & strategy
• Business development
• Operations
• Engineering & design
• Programming

Besides being a TAMID member in good standing, TAMID members who make excellent Fellows are individuals who: 

• Are aligned with the broader mission of TAMID
• Are looking for hands-on immersive working opportunities in Israel
• Exhibit leadership and professionalism both in, and beyond their TAMID chapter
• Are open-minded and flexible! Fellows require high levels of flexibility to gain the most out of their internship, living experience, and Fellowship programming. Flexibility is also key during the internship matching phase, as students will explore options and need to be flexible with expectations.  
• Have social maturity, high levels of resilience, and independence –  traveling and living in a different country can be challenging! These key elements are vital and will help when operating in a group program for living and learning together.
• Have a sense of gratitude for the experience at hand. The TAMID Fellowship is a competitive fellowship that is highly curated and heavily invested in providing Fellows with personal and professional growth experience. Fellows gain the most when they maintain gratitude throughout the Fellowship and surrounding process.

The cost for TAMID and our partners to bring each Fellow to Israel is $10,000. Even as a non-profit, together with our partners, we are able to cover MOST of that cost for you. You are expected to contribute a fraction of that overall cost;  with the Fellow Contribution costing only $1,800 per Fellow. If you have demonstrated financial need, scholarships are available – see below.

Please note: The Fellow Contribution fee does NOT include flights to Israel – Fellows will be expected to arrange their own travel.

What is directly involved in this experience is mostly up to you! What we can say for sure, is that as all TAMID Fellows receive:

• Housing for the duration of the Fellowship
• A substantive international internship experience; preceded by a personalized matching process
• Professional Development and networking events
• Health insurance for the duration of the Fellowship
• Weekend, overnight, and day trips around the country (including meals, access to unique sites and speakers)
• An intra-city bus pass (only covers local Tel Aviv)
• Partial lunch stipend, provided by your internship company
• Access to a diverse network of global TAMID Fellows
• The opportunity to experience the summer of a lifetime!

While TAMID and partners cover most of the major cost associated with the Fellowship, Fellows should plan to cover the following expenses (please note that these are included here as estimates based on previous years.)

• Passport renewal: $130
• Airfare: $800 – $2,000
• Transportation to and from the airport upon arrival to Israel (see below for more):  $100
• Additional Transportation needed around Tel Aviv and beyond: $200-$600 (depending on plans)
• Tourist Visa for non-US citizens: $30 – $40
• Meals & Groceries: $500 – $1,500
• Leisure activities and shopping: $200-$500
• Gifts & Miscellaneous (Taxis, Gym Memberships, etc.): $20 – $400

Yes! TAMID Group firmly believes that no one should miss out on this opportunity because of their financial situation. 

Our current Financial Aid model allows Fellows to request support (in part or in full) for their flights and/or for their contribution to the cost of the program. 

You’ll be invited to indicate whether or not you’d like to apply for financial aid through your application. Rest assured, your decision to/not to make such a request will have no bearing whatsoever on you being offered a place on the Fellowship.

We understand the challenges associated with committing to the Fellowship at this time, including questions concerning the policies and refunds should the Fellowship change. Our policy regarding refunds and withdrawals is as follows:

• If the Fellowship does indeed go ahead as planned, it is because all partners, in consultation with security personnel, have deemed that it is safe to bring Fellows to Israel. In this case, your decision to attend or withdraw from the Fellowship remains affixed with its non-refundable policy. Practically, this is your $1,800 contribution made to finalize your registration for and commitment to the Fellowship. 
• If the Fellowship does not go ahead or evolves to become a distinctly different program (in duration, content, or format), we will actively review both the contribution amount ($1,800) and refund policy to suit the new program.

The dates of the Fellowship are June 10, 2025 – August 5, 2025.

If you have an academic or family conflict, please contact the Fellowship team directly (summerfellowship@tamidgroup.org) as early as possible – see the next question for details.

Given that a large majority of the Fellowship is granted to the participant as a gift, Fellowship participants are expected to be in Israel for the entire duration of the program. Under certain circumstances, late arrivals, early departures, or trips out of Israel during the summer MAY be approved. If you have a potential need for one of these exceptions, you must submit a conflict form by the date provided so that it can be reviewed by TAMID Group and our partners at Birthright Israel Onward. If you are approved for such an exception, missed days will incur a daily fee.

Please note: if you do not submit your request by the given deadline, we cannot guarantee that it will be approved regardless of the circumstances.

Fellows are responsible for booking and paying for their own flights, with the exception of those approved for financial assistance. We highly encourage you to book flights as soon as possible after confirming your spot on the program and ensuring you have a valid passport, as prices can increase significantly throughout the spring semester.

Fellows are responsible for doing their own research and determining if a visa is necessary. Each Fellow is fully responsible for acquiring what is needed to enter the country. 

For US citizens and visa-exempt countries: As of August 2024,  all travelers are required to obtain an ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) to enter the state of Israel. It will cost 25 shekels to submit the application and can be done online. An approved ETA-IL, indicates that you are allowed to travel to Israel and stay for up to 90 days per visit. 

The Population and Immigration Authority of Israel recommends that travel authorization applications be submitted at least 72 hours prior to any booking of flight tickets, hotel rooms, and other similar expenses that are related to your planned travel to Israel.

Please read more and apply for an ETA-IL here. 

Non-USA citizens with other passports are responsible for checking if they require a visa, and if so, will need to apply for it on their own. If you are unsure whether you require a visa, please reach out to your local Israeli Consulate/Embassy. We have past Fellows available as student liaisons from China and India if you have questions about those visa processes – you can reach out to SGFD@tamidgroup.org to connect with them. 

Note that no Fellow needs a work or student visa – ONLY A TOURIST VISA IS REQUIRED.

Yes. According to the program rules, each Fellow must have a local Israeli phone number over the summer. This is absolutely necessary both for security/safety reasons and for the purposes of setting up Fellows’ bus transportation passes, which can only be used with an Israeli number. In the information packet you will receive before the summer, we will have details of an option to book a SIM package through a company that we work with. 

Note: Phones MUST be “unlocked for international use” before arrival or you must bring/buy a second, unlocked phone that you carry with you at all times that can hold an Israeli SIM card.

During the 2025 Fellowship, Fellows will be living in apartments with shared bedrooms. Housing will have shared living spaces as well as space to cook meals (with basic kitchen supplies). All housing has been carefully vetted and visited by both Birthright Israel Onward and TAMID staff and meets Birthright Israel Onward’s housing standards, including following all safety guidelines. We will send out a list of where you will be living before the Fellowship starts.

Note: Fellows must remain in TAMID housing for the entire Fellowship duration.

Each Fellow will receive the following items: bed, sheets, towel, dresser / closet. All apartments will also have air conditioning and wifi as well as a basic kitchen. A packing list will be sent out in our info packet before the Fellowship.

You will be sent a Housing and Cohort Form, on which you can request a Fellow to be placed in your cohort. We will not be taking roommate requests, though the housing form will include questions about your living style in order for us to best match you with compatible roommates. Your cohort requests will be taken into consideration, however, we do not guarantee that you will be placed with the Fellow you request. Keep in mind that we intentionally mix chapters in housing/cohorts to the best of our ability to encourage Fellows to branch out and to build an ultimately more cohesive, connected TAMID-wide community.

Housing preference will be taken into consideration, but it may not be possible for every Fellow to get their first choice. We also cannot guarantee specific arrangements, like single bedrooms. If you have specific needs, you must write them on your housing request form and provide supporting evidence (ie doctor’s note in cases of medical/sleep needs) – we can only do our best to accommodate these needs if we are aware of them as early as possible. All apartments will be single sex.

If you need Shabbat or Kosher housing, please let us know on the housing form and we will endeavor to place you in an apartment with others who request the same.

TAMID chapter members are purposely divided to ensure cohort diversity and to give you the chance to meet as many TAMID Fellows from other chapters as possible. You may find yourself in the same cohort as another chapter member, but this is not guaranteed.

The Fellowship team will release the housing and cohort lists in the weeks before the program.

You will receive a set amount as a lunch stipend from your company that you may use for lunches on work days, or at your discretion. This stipend is not expected to cover the full cost of lunch every day. It exists to lighten the load and make it easier for you. All other meals will be at the expense of the Fellow.

Most meals on trips are provided. TAMID will let you know before the trip if you will need to cover any of your meals.

In order for us to best accommodate your restrictions, please include your allergies and dietary restrictions on your medical form and your registration form.

* All food provided on TAMID events and trips is Kosher.

No. TAMID housing accommodations are only available during the exact dates of the Summer Fellowship Program.

Matching will begin on a rolling basis. As part of your registration process, you will be required to sign up for a Matching Webinar, during which a member of the Fellowship team and Company Relations team who manage our company accounts, will explain the process and help you sign up for our Matching Platform. The process will run until all Fellows are successfully confirmed.

Companies and Fellows are asked to fill out a profile on the Matching Platform detailing interests and needs. The Company Relations team meets with each company manager prior to approving their Fellowship submission. The companies’ needs and the students’ skills/interests are then analyzed to find the best potential matches. Using this information and our years of ecosystem experience, our team makes tailored introductions or recommendations. From there, it is up to the company to conduct their own interview process and decide whether to offer the internship to the Fellow.

On the Fellow’s side there are a few key elements TAMID needs your assistance with for the internship matching process: professionalism,  flexibility, and follow-up. During the matching process the more flexible and open you are to different opportunities, the better your process will go. Being open to different ideas for internships is key. We recommend Fellows take all interviews and in general have a mindset to be open to opportunities! Having this open-minded and flexible attitude when it comes to internship opportunities will greatly assist you in finding an internship. In addition, there will be different stages of the process which will require active participation, being proactive, and following up with companies. Just like in the real world, landing a job requires work and the TAMID staff will guide you as to when your action is needed.   

The dress code in Israel is generally more casual than in other countries. We recommend asking your company manager about the typical workplace attire in their office.

Not at all! Each placement has English-speaking employees, and your direct manager will be fluent in English as well.

Each summer, we have former Fellows serve as Fellowship Mentors. With the experience of a Fellowship under their belts, they are a great resource and are available throughout the summer, along with the TAMID staff, to assist with any internship issues.

If there is a specific company that you are interested in, please let us know, as we may already have a relationship with them. If we do not, we ask that you connect with them on your own and keep us updated and CC’d on your communication with the company. Please keep in mind that all new companies must first be approved by TAMID staff before you can start the process. We will cover the exact details of this self-sourcing process in the Matching Webinar.

The most common methods include: an on-site cafe/cafeteria, a prepaid card, or cash (daily/weekly/monthly) provided by your company.

TAMID Group works primarily with companies in the startup / hi-tech ecosystem. The large majority of our placements are in startups and high-tech companies in fields such as medtech, AI, big data, e-commerce, marketing etc. We also have limited placements in finance, Venture Capital and consulting firms.

Past Fellows have worked on projects like business development, financial analysis, marketing, deal flow, research, consulting, social media management, content writing, software development, data analytics, and more. There are also niche placements available.

Absolutely! TAMID organizes professional development events including workshops and panels for our Fellows. In addition, there are many ecosystem meetups and events that are open to TAMID Fellows.