I’m 32 years old, born in Russia, and raised in New Jersey. My family came to the U.S. in 1996 as refugees fleeing antisemitism in the Soviet Union. I’ve spent my adult life in America, working in the entertainment industry, and more recently transitioning into the mental health space. Being of service — giving back — has always been a… Read More
Brooke Pertnoy is the Director of the Barbara & Jack Kay Early Childhood Learning Center at the Mandel JCC in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I was born and raised in Florida. My dad is Jewish, and my mom converted when they got married — though she…
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April 8, 2025
Birthright Israel Is So Much More Than Fun
Rachel Moon is a beauty and fashion influencer and a pro-Israel activist with over 100,000 followers. She lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. My mom is Jewish. My dad wasn’t, but he adopted everything — every tradition, every holiday. He even led our Seders. My Jewish…
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My mother is Korean and my father is Israeli. I grew up Modern Orthodox, in a Zionist home, waving blue-and-white flags at my Jewish Orthodox school on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Before October 7th, I grew up hearing stories of my grandparents who survived the Holocaust, and my grandfather who served in the IDF and narrowly escaped death several times fighting for… Read More
Are you ready for Passover? In 2025, the holiday begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12, and ends at sundown on Sunday, April 20. To help make your seder meaningful and memorable, Birthright Israel Foundation has created a short and sweet Passover Haggadah. It includes the story of Passover, traditional blessings, a guide to the seder plate, and thoughtful questions… Read More
On March 27, supporters of Birthright Israel gathered for a powerful evening at the Palm Beach home of Co-Founder Charles Bronfman and his wife Rita, celebrating 25 years of one of the most transformative Jewish initiatives in modern history. Ronnie Pertnoy, Chair of Birthright Israel for Palm Beach, spoke about the program’s global reach — more than 900,000 Jewish young… Read More
I didn’t go on Birthright when I was younger. I had been to Israel once before — on a family trip in July 2023, just a few months before October 7th. That vacation lit a spark. But after October 7th, something shifted. The fire was lit. Honestly, it started with an Instagram ad. I saw something pop up about volunteer… Read More
I grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia. My mom enrolled me in a Jewish preschool, so I was immersed in Jewish culture from early on. I remember chopping fruit for Shabbat and making challah. I loved it. I was always a curious kid, eager to learn, and I’d follow along with my older friends in Hebrew school.… Read More
Jon Warech is the Executive Director of the Hillel at Florida International University. As the marketing material of Birthright celebrating its 25th anniversary began to go viral in the Fall, I started to do some math and got a little confused. I went on Birthright with University of Florida Hillel in December of 1998… 26 years ago. After an intense… Read More
Jenn and Elie Zussman met as college students on one of the first Birthright Israel trips in 1999. They married in 2006 and live in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with their two daughters. Jenn: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, in Pikesville, with a strong Jewish community. My upbringing felt very natural and supportive. But when I went to the University of… Read More
This op-ed by Elias Saratovsky, Birthright Israel Foundation’s President and CEO, was published in eJewishPhilanthropy on March 11, 2025. I am honored to hear the same five words all the time: “Birthright Israel changed my life.” I can relate. I grew up in a home with no Shabbat candles and no Passover Seder. As a teenager, I felt disconnected from the… Read More
Birthright Israel and Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to grow the number of global Jewish community members who travel to Israel to volunteer at this critical time. The two organizations will leverage their scale and expertise to ensure that at least 10,000 participants volunteer in Israel in 2025 to support Israel’s recovery… Read More
On March 24, 2025, more than 50 women gathered in the Atlanta home of Karen Shulman for Birthright Israel Foundation’s first-ever women’s event. Co-hosted by Karen and fellow Atlanta Leadership Council Co-Chair Michelle Leven, the afternoon brought together an inspiring group of donors, community leaders, and new supporters, all united in their commitment to strengthening Jewish identity through Birthright Israel.… Read More
