Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Ethan Frank, a 26-year-old Atlanta native who graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, has a passion for Israel and the Jewish people. In 2015, he participated in a campus Birthright Israel trip. Ethan fell in love with the program and has since volunteered to staff numerous trips. Outside of his involvement with Birthright Israel, he's busy with his… Read More 

Two organizations that provide Israel experiences for Jewish young adults, Birthright Israel and Onward Israel, are announcing their merger this week with the goal of strengthening the relationship between Diaspora Jews worldwide and the Jewish state. “Since its inception, Birthright has evolved from solely the traditional 10-day trip to cater to the growing needs and interests of our participants, such… Read More 

The year 2021 came with its highs and lows, but for young Jewish adults, Birthright Israel was the peak. Despite a global pandemic, the trip prevailed and ensured the gift was there when young adults needed it most. Many signed up with a desire to reconnect with each other after long periods of isolation, while others were looking to see… Read More 

Alana Wortsman is a summer 2021 Birthright Israel alumna currently living in Hollywood, FL. She's a lover of all things food, Pitbulls, horses, travel, broadway, and serving her community. She's worked for amazing organizations such as March of Dimes, American Cancer Society and Feeding South Florida. Currently, Alana is the Business Development Manager at the Jack & Jill Center of… Read More 

The Birthright Israel experience is very different for an Israeli young adult than our American counterparts. When I was asked to join a Birthright Israel group in Tel Aviv for three days, I said, "of course, it's a free vacation." Most of all, I was excited to have time off from the army. I was very excited about this "free… Read More 

For me to share more about my Birthright Israel experience, I need to start with one of my favorite stories. Here we go:  Once upon a time, there was a man who was walking along the beach early one morning after a big storm and found the shore covered with starfish as far as the eye could see.   Off in the distance, the… Read More 

Israel has always been a bit of a mystery to me, and I know I am not alone in that. Israel is often misunderstood, even controversial. I’ve long wanted to answer the questions and share what I know, but first, I needed to learn, experience, and understand the answers myself.   I grew up in a home where we celebrated… Read More 

In summer 2021, I went on Birthright Israel, an opportunity I am forever thankful for. For a little background on myself: I grew up in Greenwich, CT – a very un-Jewish town with a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, and while we were lucky to be members of an amazing synagogue, I always craved a larger Jewish community. This… Read More 

Picture this: a small, enthusiastic group of seven-year-olds. Each child has a large poster with a collage of a different Israeli city. Then, they take off flying around the room on their way to Israel. This was Hebrew School for me; I was incredibly lucky to grow up in a very active Jewish community with a plethora of Israeli Hebrew… Read More 

In summer 2021, I had the privilege to attend a Birthright Israel trip thanks to the generosity of Birthright Israel Foundation’s donors. However, before I can tell you all about how important this trip was and how it affected me, I should tell you about who I am, and what led me to participate in this adventure. I grew up… Read More 

My name is Ido Hayut and I'm 22 and grew up in Atlanta, GA. I have an 18-year-old brother in the IDF and a 12-year-old sister who just had her Bat Mitzvah in Herzliya, Israel. Our parents are Israeli and both spoke Hebrew at home to us. I was lucky to travel to Israel almost every summer to visit our… Read More