Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that helps people and organizations transform their communities and worlds. That is why I'm partnering with Birthright Israel Foundation to help transform our Jewish world and the future of our people this Giving Tuesday. As many of you know, eight years ago, when I volunteered to lead a Birthright Israel trip, I met… Read More 

On Thursday, November 11, 2021,  Birthright Israel Foundation hosted a spectacular event, chaired by Alyce & Philip de Toledo, Dorit & Shawn Evenhaim, and Lexie & Michael Messinger, to benefit our mission in Los Angeles. We were honored to have as our keynote speaker, Ambassador of Israel to the United States and the United Nations, Ambassador Gilad Erdan on his first visit to Los Angeles. Ambassador Erdan is a huge proponent of Birthright Israel and shared that the program "does not… Read More 

On Wednesday, November 3, 2021, nearly 100 Miami donors joined Sharon and Howard Socol, Miami Leadership Council Co-Chairs, for a virtual event about the importance of Birthright Israel. The event was an evening of insight with Dr. Zohar Raviv to benefit Birthright Israel Foundation's mission. Dr. Raviv, International VP of Educational Strategy at Birthright Israel, in conversation with Howard Socol,… Read More 

On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, Birthright Israel Foundation hosted an evening of inspiration featuring alumna Erin Schrode and world-renowned Israeli classical violinist Sergiu Schwartz. Ron Eichel, local philanthropist and member of our Atlanta Leadership Cabinet, generously hosted the event. Nearly 80 Birthright Israel Foundation supporters heard Sergiu perform and Erin speak about her life-changing journey with Birthright Israel. MAKE A GIFT NOW Our warmest thanks… Read More 

Jewish Community Leader Philip de Toledo Appointed Chairman of the Board. Douglas M. Ross & Lori Komisar Named Vice Chairmen of the Board, Lawrence J. Cohen Appointed as Treasurer. Birthright Israel Foundation, the U.S. funding arm of Birthright Israel, is pleased to announce that Los Angeles based Jewish community lay leader and board member Philip de Toledo has been elected as the organization’s next Chairman of the… Read More 

Birthright Israel is more than just a 10-day trip for our participants. It is a game-changer for the Jewish people: creating an entire generation of young Jewish adults who are connected to Israel and the Jewish community. This connection is a necessity for our people and a huge benefit to our more than 40,000 annual supporters. Each of these supporters… Read More 

On Thursday, October 14, 2021, Birthright Israel Foundation hosted our annual Long Island event featuring Dr. Zohar Raviv, Birthright Israel's International VP of Educational Strategy and alumna and influencer Elizabeth Savetsky. Elizabeth inspired the group of philanthropists by sharing how Birthright Israel changed the trajectory of her life and led her to meet her husband, Dr. Ira Savetsky. MAKE A GIFT NOW Barry Swidler was also… Read More 

Preparing for Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays is a perfect time to reflect on and celebrate moments from the past year that matter. At Birthright Israel Foundation, the successful relaunch of our trips in the wake of both a global pandemic and conflict in Israel is one of those moments. Thanks to your belief and commitment to our mission,… Read More 

We recently had the chance to catch up with Avery Rosin, Birthright Israel and Birthright Israel Excel alumnus, who has recently taken on leadership roles in our organization both nationally on our Board of Directors and locally in his hometown of Los Angeles on our Leadership Cabinet. Avery’s commitment to our organization has been more than 10 years in the… Read More 

San Diego resident Kira Finkenberg understands the value of Jewish continuity and has dedicated most of her adult life to serving the NexGen community, holding board positions for five major Jewish organizations. Therefore, when she received a call asking if she’d be interested in staffing a Birthright Israel trip, it was only natural for Kira to say, “How soon do… Read More 

Is your child interested in going on a Birthright Israel trip? Have they discussed trip options with you or when they plan to go? For many of today's young Jews, a Birthright Israel trip is the first independent Jewish decision they make. Whether your child has discussed details of their upcoming journey with you or just said, "Hey mom, I'm… Read More