Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Birthright Israel was the impetus to stepping into Jewish life as a leader, not just a follower. Before I went on the trip, I did not have a strong sense of what it meant to belong in a Jewish community. But through my experiences on the trip and in the years since, I have found a strong sense of purpose… Read More 

Welcome to the fascinating world of Israeli television! Many of our Birthright Israel participants return home excited to keep their newfound connection to Israeli society alive — and thanks to streaming networks, tons of Israeli shows are accessible in the US. Our quiz tests your knowledge about some of the top Israeli shows on Netflix. These shows have garnered critical… Read More 

Disability rights advocate Brandon Farbstein had just finished a tour of Jerusalem’s Old City when he rolled up to the Holyland Café on his Segway, a trusted mobility aid, on a warm Sunday afternoon earlier this month. He was in Israel for the first time as part of an outdoor-focused Birthright trip, which takes participants to explore the country on… Read More 

Dear Birthright Israel Foundation Donor, This is definitely the hardest letter I had to write in my entire life, and you’re probably wondering why. In the beginning, I was very skeptical about writing this down, and even worse, having to share this personal thought with you guys was very intimidating. But after some time of thinking about it (a year… Read More 

The Schneider Lesser family is making a transformational endowment gift to the Birthright Israel Foundation to fund the Birthright Israel Social Diversity Module, a program that educates tens of thousands of Jewish young adults each year about the true face of Israel, in which Jews, Arabs, and other ethnic groups live and work together. The gift is part of a… Read More 

Madeline Beard is a 2017 Birthright Israel alum who currently lives in Denver, CO. She grew up in Texas, went to school in DC, lived in NYC, and had a stint in Kentucky while working on a political campaign. She currently works as a Project Lead for TinyWins, a remote-first strategy and design agency. Outside of work, she loves staying… Read More 

Birthright Israel participant Susana Szegedi shares her savory blintz recipe inspired by her time in Tzfat on the trip. She describes being in the middle of a bazaar and seeing a man making blintzes and filling them with mouthwatering ingredients. Instead of the traditional sweet filling, this recipe takes a more savory approach and uses goat cheese, arugula, and watercress… Read More 

A fundraising campaign of the North American lodges of the Hebrew Order of David International, a Jewish fraternal organization, will enable 80 young Jewish adults — the equivalent of 2 buses — to participate in Birthright Israel, a 10-day experience in the Jewish state. It costs $4,500 to send each participant and $180,000 to send an entire bus (40 participants).… Read More 

As a 98.9% Ashkenazi Jewish individual growing up in Los Angeles, I always felt a connection to my culture and religion. From attending reform Jewish ceremonies within my family to spending summers at a Jewish sleepaway camp in Malibu, my exposure to Israel was limited to what I learned from others. However, as life got busier with sports and college,… Read More 

On the first day of school, nearly every year, each of my classes handed out the infamous questionnaire designed to introduce students to one another. Everybody is aware of the daunting feelings brewing inside of the person whose turn is approaching as they prepare to compile brief answers about their personal lives and interests. “Where are you from? What is… Read More 

When people talk about their Birthright Israel success stories, you’ll usually hear about someone who had no previous connection to Israel returning with a newfound love for their homeland. My Birthright Israel experience, however, instilled in me a sense of responsibility to stand up for its existence. In 2019, I filed a lawsuit against NYU for failing to protect its… Read More