Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

“Tradition!” Loveable milkman Tevye belts out his famous song in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, vocalizing the traditional family roles of shtetl Jews in Czarist Russia. Our people’s connection to tradition dates back to long before the 1964 show and the time period it depicts. Our rich cultural heritage has been passed down since Abraham, generation after… Read More 

While Jewish Americans and Israelis are kindred spirits, you were likely in for a culture shock the first time you visited the holy land. Americans, for instance, tend to sugarcoat things. Israelis tell it like it is. As one Birthright Israel trip provider puts it, “If you want the hard truth (or even if you don’t), Israelis are more than… Read More 

JERUSALEM – Arel Moodie, the son of a white Jewish mother and a Black father, experienced a core identity struggle through most of his teenage years. "It was one of the biggest pieces of turmoil in my adolescence," said Moodie, who was raised in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn and attended Jewish camps every summer. "I asked myself, 'Who… Read More 

While everyone’s a bundle of nerves about meeting new people and making Jewish friends before their Birthright Israel trip, the fear quickly melts away when they instantly connect with their group. The 40 or so Jewish young adults from throughout the Diaspora and Israel grow as close as family as they embrace their homeland and heritage on this life-changing trip. … Read More 

My experience with Birthright Israel began as soon as I got on the bus in front of the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem, wearing an IDF uniform along with seven other Israelis. We were greeted by a group of about 40 Americans from San Francisco with cheers and stormy applause. It started at that moment, and not a minute before,… Read More 

2017 Birthright Israel alumnus Aaron from Massachusetts, always knew he wanted to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and took advantage of the trip to further his desire to defend Israel and the Jewish people. Aaron returned home after Birthright Israel to finish his degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering before returning to Israel. In Israel, he became a… Read More 

This summer, Birthright Israel is back and Israelis everywhere are saying Bruchim Habaim: "Welcome Home." As trips resume after a pause due to the pandemic, young Jews in the Diaspora are not the only ones ready for the journey — Israelis are too! They play a crucial role in the Birthright Israel experience, from El Al flight attendant Ortal, to Luba… Read More 

If there was ever a crucial time to equip the younger generations of Jews with knowledge and experiences of Israel, it is now. The US and countries worldwide have seen increases in antisemitism and misinformation campaigns targeted at Israel like never before. For those looking to combat antisemitism and lies about Israel, the time to act has come. And, one… Read More 

This Father’s Day, we’re excited to feature an exclusive interview with Birthright Israel alumnus Alexei Brovarnik. Alexei participated in Birthright Israel in 2013, where he met Loren née Goldstone, who would eventually become his wife. The couple fell in love during their trip and would go on to have the most famous Birthright Israel love story in the program's 21-year… Read More 

For longtime Birthright Israel Foundation Los Angeles supporters Phil de Toledo and his wife Alyce, their everlasting commitment to the program is simple — they want to sustain Jewish continuity. The couple, who each grew up knowing they were Jewish but had very little connection to Judaism, first became involved in the LA Jewish community through the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.… Read More 

If you're in Israel this month, you can't miss the clusters of them downing falafel on Jerusalem's Ben-Yehuda Street, cooling off in the Dead Sea, climbing Masada at sunrise or slipping prayers between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. After more than a year of pandemic silence, the Birthrighters have returned with all the gusto of young adults… Read More