VIDEO: Elias Saratovsky on MS NOW Morning Joe

This morning, Elias Saratovsky, Birthright Israel Foundation President and CEO, joined Morning Joe on MS NOW. It is one part of a broader effort underway at the Foundation to bring the story and impact of Birthright Israel to larger, national audiences. 

As Birthright Israel approaches one million participants, including more than 60,000 Jewish young adults who have traveled to Israel since October 7, Elias spoke about what those numbers represent: 25 years of giving Jewish young adults the opportunity to experience Israel for themselves and come home with a stronger Jewish identity, a deeper connection to Israel, and a greater understanding of their place in the Jewish story. 

Many of you already know the power behind those numbers. You have seen it in participants and alumni, heard it in their stories, and helped make those experiences possible. 

Now, we want more people to understand what you already do: what nearly one million journeys have set in motion, why this experience matters so much right now, and how much more is possible from here. 

After 25 years, Birthright Israel has built something unprecedented in Jewish life. And we have the evidence to show what this experience makes possible. 

The recent study from Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies of Brandeis University found that after their Birthright Israel experience, the share of participants who felt “very connected” to Israel rose from 53% to 74% after their trip and the percentage who said being Jewish was “extremely important” increased from 39% to 57%.

Those shifts matter, particularly at a moment when connection cannot be taken for granted. And they reinforce a mission that has never wavered: building a generation of proud, confident, resilient, and knowledgeable Jewish young adults. 

The opportunity is far greater than our current reach. 

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Jewish young adults in the United States alone are eligible for Birthright Israel, yet we reach only a fraction of them.  

This is where greater philanthropic investment makes the difference.

It is the ambition behind the Generations Campaign: bringing 200,000 more Jewish young adults to Israel by 2029. To make that possible, Birthright Israel Foundation has set a goal of raising $650 million over five years, alongside $250 million in legacy commitments to help secure this work for generations to come. 

Reaching that potential will take the continued generosity of our closest supporters, greater investment from those who believe deeply in this work, and a growing community of people ready to join us. 

Elias knows personally what can begin with one trip. More than 25 years after being among the first to claim his Birthright Israel experience, he now leads the Foundation at this pivotal moment. The extraordinary part? His story is just one among nearly one million reminders that while we may fund a trip, we are investing in what that trip can set in motion. 

And that is the case we are taking to a broader audience. 

You will see Birthright Israel Foundation in more of the conversations that matter, bringing 25 years of research, results, and alumni stories to new audiences. The more people who understand the impact you have helped build and the potential still ahead, the more we can invest in the next generation.