You may have heard us say this before: Birthright Israel is strengthening the Jewish future. But…
Just a few months ago I was in Israel for the semester during a fraught time in Israeli history with the democratic debate and protests surrounding judicial reform. You see, participating in Birthright Israel inspired me to live and study in a Jewish environment that met how I identify with Judaism: an Israel that is bright, boisterous, and confident. Birthright Israel exposed me to diverse aspects of Israeli society. One that I identified with: more secular and cosmopolitan, and another that is more religious. Spending Shabbat in Jerusalem and visiting Tzfat, and being around Haredi and other religious Jews opened my eyes and made me realize that we are elements that make up one big tent, that is the Jewish people. The fierce debate around judicial reform now feels like a lifetime ago.
Today I am back on campus for my junior year at Princeton in the aftermath of the attacks on Israel on October 7. I am working behind the scenes to advise students in prominent pro-Israel leadership positions at Princeton and other Ivy League schools as past president of Tigers for Israel, Princeton’s pro-Israel student organization. Together, we are organizing grassroots efforts to support Israel and bring the Jewish community together.
Now more than ever, it is important for the Jewish community to remain connected in unity. And this is what drives me to work closely with my fellow student leaders to come together as a unified Jewish community and support Israel. After witnessing the tapestry of Israeli society on Birthright Israel and seeing it in action during the judicial reform debate, now is the time for Jews to pull together in a unified manner. It was Birthright Israel that taught me how Jews must remain connected both in times of unity and disunity.
We need to be part of the unifying moment for the Jewish community after this period subsides. It is my fervent belief that the Birthright Israel experience is integral to the Jewish experience. It is not about being on the same side on every issue. However, it’s important for us to be together during times of distress and even more so in the days after.
