By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA. My parents sent us to buy pitas from the Arabs in the market. So when she grew up and moved out on her own, it felt natural to Student to continue in this tradition. And about five years ago, she tried swapping for the first time, using Craigslist. I did it with a guy in Paris, and we overlapped for a few days and completely fell in love. Aside from the Paris exchange, however, Student was surprised to find little interest in her renovated central Tel Aviv apartment on the various worldwide swap sites she joined.
But after finally taking part in a successful trade with a homeowner in Andalusia, Spain, she sought a way to get more Israelis involved in the exchange experience and make more of their homes available to potential visitors to the Jewish state.
I got to show Israel to people the way I had wanted to. I got to experience their country in a different way. And all of this was for free β it was unbelievable. The quick membership growth in her Facebook group testifies to an increased global interest in highly personalized β yet cheaper β forms of travel. Paid sites across the Web, such as HomeExchanges. But sites that focus solely on Israeli or Jewish home exchanges and hospitality, like the Israel Home Exchange, are few and far between.
That is something Student is aiming to change. She feels that a shared love of Israel brings about a mutual trust among the users, even if they decide to make trades outside Israel. Albaranes, along with partners Tamir Einy and Doron Samish, have seen their nonprofit site grow to about 1, members from 36 different countries. For both apartment swaps and couch-surfing, Student and Albaranes emphasize the importance of a uniquely local experience for guests.
Meanwhile, of course, she urges hosts to provide practical home instructions, like cleaning instructions or particular local habits to observe, such as water conservation and minimal air conditioning usage in Israel. Albaranes himself was hosted by a Jewish family in Guatemala City, Guatemala, that showed him not only the prime destinations of the area, but also the intricacies of Jewish life there.
