What made me love Birthright Israel is probably precisely why everyone loves it – it's life-changing.…
A fundraising campaign of the North American lodges of the Hebrew Order of David International, a Jewish fraternal organization, will enable 80 young Jewish adults — the equivalent of 2 buses — to participate in Birthright Israel, a 10-day experience in the Jewish state. It costs $4,500 to send each participant and $180,000 to send an entire bus (40 participants). HOD worked tirelessly to raise $130,000 from 275 donors before Birthright Israel Foundation donors provided a generous match which in turn will allow for two buses to experience the gift of Birthright Israel.
The organization’s 10 North American lodges partnered with the Birthright Israel Foundation in the grassroots campaign, dubbed “Buses for Birthright.” It promoted the campaign across social media and through emails, text messages, phone calls and personal outreach, led by House of David leaders David Joss and Jeff Kalwerisky, of Atlanta, and Paul Wainstein, of Houston.
The organization said it acted in response to Birthright Israel’s decision to reduce the number of participants it could accept due to a 30-percent rise in the cost of the trips.
“We have all seen the incredible impact Birthright Israel has had on participants, but we all took the program for granted,” said Joss. “We believed that Birthright will always just ‘be here,’ so we at the Hebrew Order of David International were shocked to hear that the funding shortfall caused 20,000 of our children and grandchildren to be bumped from Birthright trips this summer and placed on waiting lists. That was unacceptable to us. Now, more than ever, young Jewish adults need to see Israel for themselves and find their own, personal connections to the country and pride in their Judaism. There is no better way to do that than Birthright Israel.”
Joss and Kalwerisky took their idea to Doug Ross, Vice Chair of Birthright Israel Foundation’s Board of Directors. The trip established a matching program to motivate participation and allow the campaign to send even more participants on Birthright Israel. The campaign raised $130,000 from 275 gifts before the triple match.
“When my good friends David Joss and Jeff Kalwerisky came to me on behalf of HOD to help, I was very excited,” Ross said. “The idea that their members were going to step up and raise money for Birthright Israel was so moving to me, and I knew I had to help. My wife Robyn and I offered our gift to Birthright Israel as a matching incentive for HOD members. I was thrilled when Mike and Andrea Leven agreed to join me to leverage their gift as well.”
The successful fundraising plan highlights community-wide charitable campaigns that have long been a hallmark of the Hebrew Order of David International, which was established in 1904.
“Our organization’s brethren are committed to building a community that strongly supports a deep connection to Israel and the Jewish community. Birthright Israel participants are our future. Every gift to Birthright is a gift from one generation to the next,” Kalwerisky stated.
“Since its inception, Birthright Israel has sent more than 800,000 Jewish young adults from 68 countries to Israel. It’s largely considered the most successful program in history for building and strengthening ties between Diaspora Jews and Israelis, and we are thrilled we could step up and make a difference,” Wainstein added.
About Birthright Israel Foundation
Birthright Israel Foundation raises funds in the United States to support Birthright Israel, an educational trip that aims to bring every eligible young Jewish adult worldwide, especially those less connected to Jewish life, on visits to Israel to strengthen his or her Jewish identity.
About Hebrew Order of David International
The Hebrew Order of David International is a fraternity of adult men that promotes friendship among its members, serves the community at large and applies Jewish ideals and values.
