By meeting real Germans and doing a deep dive into what it means to be a Jew in Germany, my experience transcended that of a typical tourist on an ordinary vacation. More so than I realized when I applied for this program, the Germany Close Up experience is truly one-of-a-kind.
Natan Wise

... a whirlwind of interesting conversations, interesting people, and being immersed in an entirely different culture that was unlike anything I've experienced before.
Nicole Kofman

There was one thing in particular that stood out for me regarding the German people we met. Every tour guide, every administrator - everyone - was so sensitive and well-spoken regarding the Holocaust and Jewish culture.
Vanessa Weber

News

Current Programs

Applications Open for Germany Close Up 2025

Our programs are again up and running. We are now taking applications for our 2025 spring and summer sessions. Further details on these can be found on our 'Current Programs' page.

Alumni

Remain Part of our Alumni Network

Due to European data protection regulations, we have had to delete the contact details of all our program alumni who did not send us their permission to transfer their data to our new administrative organization, the DAAD, by February 28, 2021. If this effects you and you would like to remain part of our alumni network and receive invitations to our events, as well as information on our alumni activities, such as our essay competition, please email our office to learn how to have your data reinstated.

Send an email to Germany Close Up Germany Close Up Office

Partners

Become a Community Partner

The majority of Germany Close Up groups are organized together with Jewish partner organizations based in North America. These organizations represent a wide spectrum of Jewish life in the United States and Canada to ensure that our programs reach out to and reflect the diversity of Jewish life in North America today. Whilst we have many longstanding partnerships, we also welcome inquiries from potential new partners.

Alumni

Essay Competition 2024

We are pleased to announce that we will begin taking submissions for the fifth Germany Close Up Alumni Essay Competition.
The topic for this year’s competition is: "At Home and Abroad: Witnessing Jewish Life in Volatile Times". The author of the winning submission will receive a week-long trip to Germany with the person of their choice. Germany Close Up will cover the travel and accommodation costs of this trip. The second and third places will receive a generous book prize.
Please send your contributions of around 2,000 words to germanycloseup[@]daad.de. All submissions must be received by Sunday, January 26. Please note that this competition is open only to Germany Close Up alumni. For more information please contact us at germanycloseup@daad.de.

Alumni

Alumni Essays

Read the winning essays of our GCU alumni essay competitions here.

Apply now!