A New Reality: How Birthright Israel Participants Are Shaping Their Jewish Identity Post October 7th

The horrors of October 7th and the fallout since have changed Jews and Jewish life in ways both tangible and intangible. This is of course true also of the Birthright Israel program: it’s different now – and, like Israel and the Jewish people, still going strong.

In the summer of 2024, Birthright Israel brought 13,500 participants from across the diaspora to see the Jewish homeland for themselves, and to experience and address head-on the new realities of life in Israel. Participants all had the chance to contribute to Israel’s recovery and rebuilding efforts through volunteer programs, and to connect with civic organizations addressing the current needs of Israeli society. They heard first-hand testimony of the events of October 7th as part of the Bring Them Home Movement, and they met with Israeli peers to share experiences of being Jewish today in both Israel and their homes in the diaspora.

“I was surprised with how quickly I created a strong connection with the Israelis on my trip,” 2024 participant Brianna B. said. “I didn’t expect them to care so much about my experiences in the U.S. They made me feel like Israel was my home, as well.”

This feeling of acceptance and inclusion permeated for participants of varying viewpoints, according to Bennett H., another 2024 Birthright Israel alumnus.

“To be completely honest, I was concerned that my trip would be filled with propaganda and biased information. Thankfully, this was not the case,” he said. “The geopolitical conversations that were had on my trip were as objective as could be given the lived and ongoing experiences of the Israeli people. Everyone was willing to be vulnerable and share their opinions without fear of judgment or discontent.”

Another 2024 participant, Jacob P., said this kind of open discussion, especially with Israeli locals participating in the trip, “broadened my horizons and created a new perspective on life in Israel during wartime.”

But it wasn’t just interactions with mifgashim, Israeli Birthright Israel participants, that led to eye-opening experiences for the diaspora Jews on this year’s trips. The effects of October 7th could be seen and felt all over the country not only through Birthright Israel programming, but simply by being in Israel, immersed, for the 10-day visit.

“We stayed in the Royal Hotel in Jerusalem on the 6th floor. In the lobby, we met some people staying on the 5th floor who looked like they had been in the hotel for quite some time. We went over to talk to them, and that’s when reality hit,” 2024 participant Lazer H. said. “They were all telling stories of a place called Shlomo, which they called home until the seventh of October. They shared with us some stories of the missile barrage that forced them to evacuate to Jerusalem. This broadened our understanding of the situation facing the Jewish community.”

For Justin A., it was “listening to people at Hostage Square speak” that “helped to bring in current events and give me a better perspective of what is truly happening.”

This sharpened perspective ultimately painted a picture of what 2024 participant Joseph B. called “the true Israel.”

“In the U.S., I am sort of removed from the conflict. All I have to think upon are facts… But in Israel, the war is personal,” he said. “Everyone there was deeply aware of it. Everyone had a first or second degree connection to someone that was taken. We saw all this love, hope, and sadness on display particularly in the two Hostage Squares in Tel Aviv, but we didn’t need to go to those specific locations to understand this – we could just ask any random person. At the same time, I really respect the resilience that I saw. People did not let Hamas stop them from going about their lives. I think we saw a little bit more of the ‘true Israel’ because of this conflict, and I really respect what I saw.”

Summer 2024 Birthright Israel trips were inevitably punctuated by such weighty doses of reality. But coming to understand the depth of the impact of October 7th and its fallout by visiting Israel for themselves not only “broadened understanding” among participants, as Lazer H. put it, but contributed to stronger Jewish identity and resolve.

“Visiting the Nova Music Festival memorial site was a surreal and somber experience that left me reflective and prouder to be Jewish,” participant Benjamin F. said. “It only convinced me further the importance of Israel as a state.”

For Orel H., “Visiting Mount Herzl, the cemetery for fallen Israeli soldiers, was incredibly impactful, especially after having connected with the incredible Israelis on my trip,” he said. “I left with a feeling of deep sadness yet great hope for the future.”

This seemingly dissonant mix of sadness and hope in many ways encapsulates the experience and attitude of the Jewish people, ever resilient in the face of adversity over the course of history – a history Birthright Israel participants see and experience live and in person during their interactive, immersive trips.

This was evident for 2024 participant Samantha B., whose reflections capture not only the magic of a Birthright Israel trip, but also the magic of the Jewish spirit.

“The day we went to Yad Vashem and Har Herzl was the saddest and most enlightening day of the trip, and that was paired with our night out in Jerusalem,” she said. “The whole day felt like a representation of what it’s like to be Jewish. Facing hard times and feeling the lowest of lows, but owning the resilience of our people to still celebrate life and have such a great appreciation for being alive will continue to live in my mind. That was the day the connection between everyone on the trip felt tangible. We shared in the highs and the lows and were united through it all.”