Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

As a child in Madison, Wisconsin, Bob Schuckit grew up in a Conservadox household where his Jewish heritage was extremely important. His parents were immigrants and valued the strength and support of their local Jewish community. Eventually, he left Wisconsin and attended Brandeis University. Here, he had a wonderful time and credits the school for keeping his passion for Judaism…   Read More 

A dangerous misconception exists; the Jewish people are oriented to the past. Our collective age, deep connection to ancient traditions, our lived memory of events centuries before our time, the image of Tevye singing, “Tradition!” and more sometimes belie the truth: We are not a people of the past. We are a people of the future.  In our tradition, we count up. Whether it…   Read More 

The Jewish High Holy Days, also known as the 10 Days of Repentance or Awe, are approaching faster than three blasts of a ram’s horn. It’s time for us to let go of the old as we embrace the Jewish New Year. A time of reflection and renewal, the High Holy Days kick off with Rosh Hashanah, Hebrew for “head…   Read More 

Each year as the summer winds down, the Jewish community prepares to observe the High Holy Days.  The evening breeze, the anticipation of fall, are all part of the build-up to Rosh Hashanah.  We enjoy the last minutes of summer, we prepare our children and grandchildren to return to school, we shop for dresses, ties, and shoes to add to…   Read More 

Like hundreds of thousands of other Jewish parents, Rob Clarfeld first learned of Birthright Israel when his son went on a trip. He remembers his son Larry, then a student at the University of Vermont, informing him: “I’m going to Israel with a group called Birthright Israel.” Within a few weeks, Larry and his girlfriend (now wife) were in Israel;…   Read More 

Staffing Birthright Israel trips are the most rewarding aspect of my job. My desire to pursue Hillel work stems from prodigious positive memories formulated during 13 years of attending a Yeshiva day school. Over the course of ten days Birthright Israel trips are able to successfully create more positive memories and enable growth for students in ways in which Jewish…   Read More 

Rosh Hashanah is first referred to in our texts as Yom HaZikaron - the Day of Remembrance. It is not until the Talmud that the idea of the “new year” is even associated with the day, and liturgically speaking, many of our prayers describe Rosh Hashanah as one of memory - a reflection on the past rather than an aspiration for the…   Read More 

Like hundreds of thousands of other Jewish parents, Rob Clarfeld first learned of Birthright Israel when his son went on a trip. He remembers his son Larry, then a student at the University of Vermont, informing him: “I’m going to Israel with a group called Birthright Israel.” Within a few weeks, Larry and his girlfriend (now wife) were in Israel;…   Read More 

As a mom, it is important that my son Jonah achieve special milestones throughout his life. When Jonah was diagnosed with high functioning autism at a young age, I wasn’t sure if he would have the same opportunities as other kids. This included the chance to experience Jewish milestones.  Our family belongs to Temple Sinai in Atlanta, Georgia. Jonah went to preschool and Sunday school there, he became a Bar Mitzvah and he was confirmed. As a teenager, he was a madrich in the Sunday…   Read More 

When alumnus Neil St. Clair first entered the workforce, his family encouraged him to hide his Jewish identity, “suggesting that if I want to succeed, I should not display my Judaism.” He didn’t identify publicly as a Jewish person for the first time until he was in his 30s. Married, with his second child on the way, he decided to…   Read More 

Throughout the last twenty years, Birthright Israel Foundation has changed tens of thousands of young Jewish lives in Philadelphia. This is in large part due to the incredible local lay leadership, proving Philadelphia is truly the City of Brotherly Love. We must thank our local lay leaders Margie Honickman, Gail Norry, Susan Schwartz and the late Madlyn Abramson z'l who have worked…   Read More