Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

I was raised in a Jewish family that was more traditional in our practice of Judaism. Only when I turned 12, I felt a spark and became more interested in Jewish learning and the religious aspects I had been missing. Eager to explore Israel as I learned more about Judaism, I set out for my Birthright Israel trip right after… Read More 

On Thursday, December 12, 2019, over 45 prominent supporters of Birthright Israel Foundation and board members of Temple Emanuel gathered at our Palm Beach offices for a mezuzah hanging. The gathering marked a significant moment in Birthright Israel history as our 20th-anniversary approaches since the ritual of hanging the mezuzah represents our commitment to future generations and passing on the… Read More 

In 2009, Marissa Schwartz took advantage of the gift of Birthright Israel through the Chabad of Dartmouth with close friend Jenna Pfeffer. Years later, thanks to her firsthand experience of the country and culture, she is now Director of Business Development for My Israel's Miracle, a haircare line featuring organic ingredients from Israel with a goal to share great things… Read More 

Carly Rapaport and Alex Vargas met on their Birthright Israel trip back in the summer of 2014. Although they lived under 6 miles from each other in Boston at the time, they didn’t meet until their trip when they were over 5,000 miles from home! Carly explains, “Alex had wanted to go on a Birthright Israel trip for years, but… Read More 

I went on my Birthright Israel trip in 2011 at the ripe age of 19. Like many participants in this demographic, I was excited about the experience (who doesn’t love the rare gift of free travel?) and eager to explore my Jewish identity more. My Jewish upbringing wasn’t atypical for an American Jew; I went to synagogue on the high… Read More 

Growing up, my grandparents instilled in me a strong love for Israel and for fellow Jews around the world. Each of them was a Holocaust survivor and lost countless family members in the war, including parents and even baby siblings. If only the state of Israel had been formed sooner. For my grandparents, there was nothing more admirable than being… Read More 

In a short period of time, my life has really changed. I get asked the question a lot as to what happened, and I always respond with, "You know how I went to Israel this past summer…" I grew up in the Bible Belt, also known as Katy, Texas. Both my parents are Jewish, and my brother and I were… Read More 

On Thursday, November 21, 2019, Birthright Israel Foundation, together with over 300 guests, honored philanthropists Gila and Adam Milstein at our 6th Annual Los Angeles Dinner. The evening was a tremendous success, raising $34 million for Birthright Israel Foundation from the community, including the Adelsons. We thank the Adelsons for their continued generosity to Birthright Israel Foundation, bringing their total support… Read More 

On November 20, 2019, we gathered with our Philadelphia community for an evening to benefit Birthright Israel Foundation at Zahav. We'd like to thank our wonderful Philadelphia leadership for making this event a smashing success. Our guests were fortunate enough to hear from Birthright Israel alumnus and national best-selling author, Arel Moodie. His Birthright Israel experience not only left a… Read More 

Where do I begin? This trip has changed my life, really. As of last December, I was a student at Penn State University, and the only reason I went on Birthright Israel was because a friend from college wanted me to come with him. So I thought, why not! I had never been to Israel before and wanted to learn… Read More 

Let's add a little Israeli flare to Thanksgiving this year and serve a delicious Israeli salad. So many of our participants not only discover the history of Israel but the flavors as well, and we can almost guarantee that after their Birthright Israel trip, they love Israeli salad. What You Need 2 plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced 1 bell… Read More