I’ve always been proud to be Jewish. Growing up as an Ashkenazi Jew, I found joy in celebrating holidays and traditions with my family, watching the Rugrats Passover special on an orange VHS tape, and listening to Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song.” Of course, my pride and connection to Judaism was also deeply rooted in food. My Grandma Mindy’s matzo ball soup was legendary, offering comfort and warmth with every sip. My mom’s homemade latkes would fill the entire house with an essence that signaled the start of Hanukkah. And when it came to Passover, my grandparents Harriet and Sid brought a unique passion to the Seder. They used the same Haggadah for 50 years, each page covered in wine stains and crumbs—living proof of our family’s enduring traditions. 

At 13, I had my Bar Mitzvah, and according to many, it marked my formal entry into Jewish adulthood. However, I never attended a Jewish day school, joined a youth group, or spent summers at a Jewish camp. My college years lacked a true Jewish community, which led me to question my relationship with Judaism, leaving me searching for a deeper connection to my Jewish identity. 

In December 2016, a few weeks after my grandfather passed away and a few days after I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University, I finally found the missing and most important link to Judaism I had been craving. After years of my older brother Joshua nagging me to go on a free ten-day trip to Israel with him, I finally said yes to going on a Birthright Israel trip. I will forever be grateful for this decision. It sounds cliché, but Israel provided me with the connection to Judaism that I had been searching for. I fell in love. Although I had never before stepped foot in the land of milk and honey in this lifetime, spiritually, it felt like a homecoming. 

With the influence of my madricha (my trip leader), my newfound connection to Israel and Judaism continued to grow, and I returned to Israel several months later, in August 2017, to teach English in Netanya through Masa Israel Teaching Fellows. That year in Israel was an incredible adventure, filled with challenges, growth, and a deepening of my love for the country. The moments and friendships I made that year I carry with me every day. 

After an incredible and adventurous year of teaching and living in Israel, I came back to the United States. I felt homesick for Israel and felt a need to go back, to give back. I staffed two national Birthright Israel trips the following summer and winter before attending the Birthright Israel Fellows conference through the iCenter in February 2020. It was at this conference that I learned that I could be a Jewish professional, work at Hillel and get paid to staff Birthright Israel trips. 

However, just as my dreams began to take shape, COVID-19 changed the world. My plans to start a career as a Jewish professional were put on hold, but I remained determined. Finally, after a year of global uncertainty, I proudly began my career on June 9, 2021, as the IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) Israel Engagement Coordinator at Central Florida Hillel. 

Unfortunately, on June 22, 2021, my brother Joshua unexpectedly passed away. The evening before, my brother and I spoke on the phone on my way home from work. Not knowing that it would be our last conversation ever, I thanked my brother for the brand-new job I had, which was all thanks to him pushing me to go on Birthright Israel. I told my brother I was proud of him and that he inspired me. We ended the call by saying “I love you,” and the next day, my life would change forever. 

I took time off work after my brother’s passing to grieve but soon returned to work with a renewed sense of purpose. I promised my team at Central Florida Hillel that I would bring more students on Birthright Israel trips than ever before, all in my brother Joshua’s memory. After all, it was because of his persistence that I got to go to Israel for the first time and get more in touch with my Jewish identity. Reflecting on the Torah, I realized that it was always Joshua who led the people of Israel. This realization gave me strength and motivation to make sure his memory was never forgotten and that it was for many blessings. 

A few months after my brother Joshua’s passing, my grandmother Mindy would fall ill and pass away. However, in spite of everything, I kept my commitment to my team and tripled the number of Birthright Israel participants Central Florida Hillel had ever taken to Israel. During my first trip staffing as a Jewish professional, my grandmother Harriet would pass away while I was staffing a trip. Since then, I have brought hundreds of students to Israel, many for the first time, on Birthright Israel trips and helped them connect to their Jewish identity. Today, I serve as the Engagement Manager at the University of Miami Hillel—where I supervise the current IACT Coordinator, the very position that once gave me my start in Jewish professional life—and I am a student of the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management through Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. 

Sparked by my brother Joshua, Birthright Israel didn’t just reconnect me with my Jewish identity; it set me on a path of professional and personal fulfillment that I never even thought was possible. My Jewish journey is a testament to the transformative power of Birthright Israel and the profound impact it can have on one’s life.

I would now like to honor the memory of Joshua, and encourage readers to make a donation to Birthright Israel in his memory.

Joshua Max Feinberg was a proud Jew who loved Jewish traditions and food, especially everything bagels with lox and whitefish salad. Joshua proudly had his Bar Mitzvah at our local Chabad and later volunteered there as an adult, handing out food to those in need. Joshua faced adversity in life but always emerged stronger and ready to support others. His generosity and kind soul knew no bounds, and his protective nature made him the friend and family member everyone could lean on. Even in his passing, Joshua’s spirit beams like the menorah on the eighth night of Hanukkah, urging us to live life to the fullest, just as he did.  

Our Birthright Israel trip together was one of Joshua’s most cherished experiences. Although his favorite part was, of course, spending time with his brother Jordan, he loved shawarma, the new Jewish friends he made, and the pride he felt at learning about Jewish history. From wrapping tefillin at the Kotel, to hiking up Masada at sunrise, and laughing and joking at the back of the bus, Joshua’s warmth and kindness touched everyone he met. 

Israel provided Joshua with a deeper connection to his Jewish identity, with Birthright Israel providing the adventure. Joshua’s life was a testament to living fully, loving deeply, and embracing every adventure. By supporting Birthright Israel, we honor Joshua’s legacy, keeping his spirit alive and continuing to spread the joy and connection he found. Joshua Max Feinberg’s legacy will live on forever, inspiring us to cherish every moment and live our lives to the max. 

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