On Nantucket, One Story Reflects Nearly a Million More

At the evening hosted by Danielle and Gregg Darish on July 30, Gregg opened to a growing community of Birthright Israel Foundation supporters on the island, a room full of longtime friends and many who are new to Birthright Israel.

Birthright Israel Foundation President & CEO Elias Saratovsky spoke to why this moment matters, reminding everyone that "by investing in this cause, you're investing in the people who will sustain Jewish life for generations to come."

The evening carried extra weight with National Board Chair Mike Rashes and National Board Member Sara Aronson in the room, along with a special moment when Valerie Friedman’s addition to the National Board was announced to warm applause. Cabinet Chair Dara Grossman was joined by fellow Cabinet members Jill Roberts, Mark Friedman, Jamie Golden, and Susan Abraham, a testament to the depth of leadership behind this work.

It was Birthright Israel alum Alex Reiss who really drove home the impact of how one life can be transformed by Birthright Israel, and that, like her, there are nearly one million others whose stories began the same way. On the first day of her trip, standing at Max Steinberg's memorial on Mount Arbel, Alex read four words that would change her life: "Wake up and live." She shared how those words helped her stop asking whether she was "Jewish enough" and start building a Jewish life that felt authentically her own. "Because you believed someone like me was worth investing in," she told the room, "my life took a different path."

Today, Alex dedicates her life to helping other Jewish young adults develop their own connection to Israel and their Jewish identity.