When my husband Ed became involved in Birthright Israel Foundation, I was less of a participant…
Longtime philanthropists Howard and Sharon Socol are all about the continuity of the Jewish people. Fundamental to that continuity, they say, is a connection to the land of Israel. Every summer for more than a decade, they’ve spent a month there. But, Howard said, “if you’ve never been to Israel, you can’t understand it.”
Hence the Socols’ commitment to sending young Jews to experience the homeland for themselves by supporting the Birthright Israel Foundation, both as Co-Chairs of the Foundation’s Ambassador Council in Miami for the past 10 years, and as committed planned-giving donors.
“Am Yisrael Chai is the lesson of Birthright Israel: we are a people,” Sharon said. A Birthright Israel trip “allows diaspora Jews to realize they are a part of something bigger than they are individually, and while they may come from various countries, they have a history, they have a story, they have a language, they have a culture, and they have traditions that connect them together.”
Howard put it this way: for a Birthright Israel participant, the trip “wakes up their Jewish peoplehood. Going to Israel opens up your eyes, it opens up your heart, and you really get a chance to say, ‘this is the homeland of the Jewish people, and I feel proud of that homeland.'”
The Socols — Howard, a retired fashion executive, and Sharon, a photographer — became involved with Birthright Israel about 10 years ago after attending what’s known as the Birthright Israel Mega Event with Co-Founder Charles Bronfman.
“We were absolutely blown away. The excitement of these 5,000 Jews from all over the world was just breathtaking,” Howard said. He and Sharon returned to Miami inspired, and right then they made a five-year financial commitment to the Foundation.
The Socols’ passion for and dedication to Birthright Israel has only grown since, largely because “Birthright Israel has a heart.” It’s a catchphrase the couple emphasizes, and something they say is evident with every interaction with the organization — particularly witnessing the effort Birthright Israel invests in orchestrating accessibility programs, making a comfortable, action-packed 10-day trip to Israel possible for Jewish young adults with different health and mobility needs.
On a visit to one such bus this summer, the Socols described a powerful interaction with a beaming participant who took them aside to share how incredible the trip had been for him.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Howard said.
The Socols’ month-long Israel stay was especially poignant after October 7th. They were able to see Birthright Israel’s wartime volunteer program in action and spoke of a woman who’d left her job, husband and baby at home for two weeks so she could help on the ground in Israel. The thousands of Birthright Israel alumni pressing pause on their lives to pitch in, the Socols said, is tangible evidence of a Birthright Israel trip’s effectiveness.
“Birthright Israel not only reached them for the 10 days [of the classic trip], but they have now come back and given back to Israel,” Howard said. “And that shows it works.”
Ultimately, the heart behind and the effectiveness of Birthright Israel has driven the Socols’ contributions year after year.
Though, “it’s not just giving,” Howard clarified. “It’s really investing in young people and the Jewish people.”
“A Birthright Israel trip is very often the beginning of a participant’s connection and commitment to Jewish causes”, the Socols said. Sharon took notes during her summer visit to capture the impact she was seeing in real time, and in her writing, she put it this way: “The experience of Birthright Israel is like a linked chain. Each link is attached by having another participant experience being here on the ground, feeling the atmosphere, meeting real Israelis … it’s a formidable connection, one that will stand in defense of who we are as a Jewish people.”
It’s why the Socols have decided, in addition to their long-running annual contributions, to make a legacy gift to Birthright Israel Foundation.
“When we’re gone, we still want Birthright Israel to be flourishing and be important and bring in Jews to Israel,” Howard said. “That’s the way to keep the future of the Jewish people going.”
And, Sharon said, a way to strengthen and continue the linked chain she described.
The Socols are active supporters of causes both Jewish and secular and recognize it takes a connection to motivate such support in the first place. Nothing, the Socols say, fosters that connection quite like Birthright Israel.
“All Jewish institutions that reach out for your funds are worthy because they have a goal to help our people,” Sharon said. “If you don’t give the young people throughout the world the opportunity to go and connect with Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, you’re not going to have them be able to support the other institutions that are important later on.”
Howard agreed. From healthcare to educational programs, “there are so many good things to do. But as far as hopefully making sure there’s a future for the Jewish people both in the diaspora and in Israel, [supporting Birthright Israel] is the way to do it,” he said. “If we don’t educate our young people on their Jewish peoplehood and the state of Israel, they won’t understand to support those things.”
Sharon and Howard, and other donors of who have made a planned gift, are forward-thinking philanthropists who are truly committed to our mission and securing the Jewish future for years to come. Their investment in Birthright Israel will build a bright, strong, and proud generation of Jewish young adults today and for years and years to come. Learn how you can join the Socols and invest in the future of Birthright Israel.
