Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

You may have heard us say this before: Birthright Israel is strengthening the Jewish future. But What Does That Mean? In many ways, the Jewish future is a numbers game. The longevity of our people is tied to the number of Jews who embrace our heritage in the years to come, enabling our community to grow and thrive. For that… Read More 

From an early age, I knew Israel was an important place. My mother’s parents had both survived the Holocaust. After World War II, my grandfather, a survivor of Auschwitz, volunteered in a displaced persons camp in Germany helping other Jewish refugees get to British-controlled Palestine. While my grandfather hoped to also emigrate to Eretz Yisrael, his one surviving family member… Read More 

A staff member observes how Birthright's Special Needs trips...aren't especially different from any other. Ben Gurion Airport, early in the morning, a group of young Canadian or American Jews ​get off the air-conditioned ​air​plane straight into the​ hot​ Mediterranean climate, tired after a long flight, on their faces ​a mixture of pressure and excitement ​is evident​. They place their suitcases… Read More 

At Adath Israel, a typical day doesn’t really exist, Julia Campbell said. Campbell has worked as the program and marketing coordinator at Adath Israel for just over a year. At the Merion Station synagogue, you can find the 25-year-old organizing events, meeting with staff, communicating with congregants and, right now, planning for the High Holidays, in addition to many other… Read More 

From June 24–28, 2018, we hosted our 18th Anniversary Mission to Israel and were joined by over 80 supporters who got to see, feel and experience the once-in-a-lifetime educational journey of Birthright Israel. The Mission kicked off with a Havdalah ceremony on the balcony of the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The following days were filled… Read More 

During my time at Tufts University, I spent months considering whether or not to participate in a Birthright Israel trip. In weighing my decision, I decided that if I were ever to do Birthright I wanted my trip to be through an institution I knew would respect all sides of the geopolitical issue at play. As a recent graduate, the… Read More 

Some 2,000 young adults who thought they had missed the chance to travel on Taglit-Birthright Israel when they turned 27 – the regular program is for individuals 18 to 26 – are getting a chance to experience the touted 10-day free trip to Israel. This summer, and again in October and November, Birthright is piloting a series of trips for… Read More 

A year and a half ago I joined Birthright Israel Foundation as President & CEO. With me I brought a lifetime of business experience and an intense passion for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. In Israel, I saw the Birthright Israel program all over the country as buses drove by on the highway, logos were placed in… Read More 

Four years ago, I boarded a plane to take a journey with Birthright Israel. I had very few expectations. As a senior in college, the past President of a national Jewish sorority, and a member of the Chabad Student Board, I was confident in my Jewish identity. I was raised in a strong Jewish community, attended Hebrew School twice a… Read More 

News stories have warned us of an unprecedented distancing between Israeli and North American Jewry. The recent decision of actress Natalie Portman to turn down the Genesis Prize – an award that celebrates Jewish achievement and contributions to humanity – has only exacerbated these fears. It seems that each side doesn’t fully grasp the difficulties the other is facing, and… Read More 

When I turned 16, my father told me I was Jewish. This isn’t uncommon in Russia, where I was born and raised. Many people discover their Jewish roots later in life. But I just didn’t think I’d be one of them. I spent the next few weeks poring over family documents – birth certificates, passports, letters. They reaffirmed the story… Read More