On Sunday, October 23, 2022, more than 60 guests attended a gathering generously hosted by Iris and Mikey Dardashti in their Beverly Hills home for an inspiring program to benefit and celebrate Birthright Israel Foundation. Mikey Dardashti spoke about how he and Iris deeply care about their community, Israel, and the Jewish people. He stressed how important it is to gift this incredible educational experience to the next generation and connect our young people to Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people.

The audience was treated to an in-depth conversation between Dr. Zohar Raviv, International Vice President of Educational Strategy for Birthright Israel, and Lisa Daftari, an award-winning Journalist and Commentator and Los Angeles-based Birthright Israel alumna.

Dr. Raviv and Lisa spoke about the current challenges facing the Jewish community and how the Birthright Israel program provides young Jews the firsthand opportunity to explore Israel for themselves as they are currently bombarded with antisemitic rhetoric and anti-Israel sentiment across college campuses, social media, locally and worldwide.

The 10-day immersive experience empowers participants to discover their Jewish identity and form deep connections with Israel’s people, places, and culture. This empowering and transformational gift has been made to 45,000 young Jewish adults in Los Angeles alone over the organization’s 22-year history.

Photos from the Event