Birthright Israel Showed Me How Much Jews Need Each Other

Hello! First and foremost, I would like to thank the Birthright Israel Foundation donors for providing me the opportunity to travel to Israel. It was the experience of a lifetime, shared with Jewish people from around the world, and one that I will be forever grateful for.

My name is Jason Eichner and I am a 26-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio. I currently work at a blockchain startup and find great joy in a variety of physical activities, ranging from tennis to skiing to hiking.

With both of my parents and both sets of grandparents being Jewish, I have grown up with a strong sense of Judaism around me. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by people who have guided me to support Israel and, above all else, understand the importance of Israel in the context of Jewish history.

I have always believed that having a strong Jewish diaspora is equally as important as having a strong Jewish homeland, and Birthright is a quintessential bridge between those two worlds. I felt a sense of obligation to cross that metaphorical bridge, especially after October 7th. It remains a remarkable concept to me that Jewish people have the opportunity, thanks to Birthright, to travel to Israel at virtually no cost.

The regional war was a significant factor heading into the trip, which began on May 4th, 2026. For me, my parents, and the incredible friends I made on the trip, it did not deter us; it encouraged us. While in Israel, you would never know any threat existed, thanks to the seamless operations of the Birthright program and the Israeli Defense Forces keeping the country safe. What stood out to me most was that life was simply moving on. Rush hour traffic, people at bars at night, and people enjoying the beaches of Tel Aviv.

From the moment we touched down, I was struck by a feeling that is difficult to describe. There is something about being surrounded by Jewish people, and not having to worry about any anti-Jewish protests and slogans, that puts you at ease. Israel is a foreign country with a culture entirely distinct from Cincinnati, Ohio, and yet it feels like home. I have been fortunate to travel to over a dozen countries, and none have come close to feeling like Israel does.

I had a similar experience meeting my fellow participants. They may have been strangers when we met, but when we are all Jewish, are they really? There is an instant connection shared among all approximately 16 million Jews in the world. It was also remarkable to interact with and befriend the seven Israelis who joined our trip. Many of them were around 21 or 22 years old, yet they carry themselves with a maturity well beyond their age. It is living, breathing proof of how much we take for granted in the United States, and of just how resilient the Israeli people are.

After October 7th, I felt it was important to go to Israel. For every antisemitic slur shouted on the campuses of so-called elite universities, and for every instance where nothing was done, I decided the best course of action that I could take was showing up to Israel. Sure, it would feel nice to speak my mind to the aforementioned people protesting Jews, but real action in the context of my life is not stooping down to the level of people chanting endless blood libel. It is showing up and supporting Israel in any way I can. In this case, it was Birthright that provided me with this incredible opportunity.

Antisemitism was a common theme among virtually every participant on the trip. Everyone had their own stories, whether things said to them directly, witnessed in person, or seen on social media, even from people they had considered friends. I believe Birthright, especially in times like these, is more important than ever. My support for Israel has always been ironclad, but over the past few years I have at times grown worried about the future of Judaism, given how many people seem to stand against us. Being in Israel reminded me that sometimes you don't need the numbers. You just need each other.

Part of what makes Israel so extraordinary is the degree of religious and ethnic diversity that coexists within it. We had the opportunity to meet Doris Hafa'ie, an Arab Christian woman living with her family in Jaffa. She shared her family's history with us, including how her grandfather was from Gaza, how she has raised her two sons in Israel, and how she freely practices her faith within the Jewish state. She welcomed our group of roughly 40 Jews with open arms, offering traditional tea and a light snack. There was a clear and genuine mutual respect between us. We wanted to hear her story, and she wanted to tell it.

Though we came from vastly different backgrounds, those differences seemed to dissolve in that room. Everyone was simply in it together. I was struck by how candid she was, having just met us. She engaged thoughtfully with the many questions our group raised.

Leaving her home, after she said a personal goodbye to each member of our group, it was very clear to me that everything people accuse Israel of in the media, is what the groups of people they are supporting are guilty of. People meeting for a respectful conversation with ethnic and religious backgrounds that have historically been at odds with each other is only something that can happen in Israel.

I landed in Israel already as a strong supporter of the country, but with slight worry given the rapidly increasing number of anti-Jewish voices in the US. I left with even stronger support for Israel and the belief that no matter how many people stand against the Jews, we will be okay. Over the next 1-2 decades, there will be no more living Holocaust survivors. The burden of sharing their stories and making sure that it never happens again will be on all of us. That is why I believe we are the chosen people. We are not chosen in the sense of we are better than everyone else. That could not be farther from the truth. We are the chosen people to carry the burden of the pain and suffering from our ancestors to ensure that their stories are never forgotten, and that Judaism lives on from generation to generation. This is a strong theme that Birthright, either intentionally or unintentionally, does an eloquent job of conveying on the trip.

I would like the incredibly generous Birthright Israel Donors who made this trip possible to know that this is one of the most important initiatives in the Jewish diaspora. As I mentioned previously, having a strong Jewish Diaspora is as equally important as having a strong homeland. While the idea of every single Jewish person living in our homeland sounds absolutely fantastic, that is not realistic. The Jews of the diaspora have to carry the flag, and they have to carry that flag with pride, impenetrable determination, and belief for the future.