June 11, 2026
I think my words from our closing session, where our group looked back on our Birthright trip and said some emotional goodbyes, might be the best place to start in reflecting on the experience: “I had the opportunity to come to Israel once before [with my Jewish Day School class], and when we had to leave, I was very sad,...
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May 28, 2026
Because of my family ties, Israel always held a special place in my life. My mother is Israeli, and much of her family still lives in Israel, so I grew up hearing stories about the country and feeling connected to it from a young age. I was raised Jewish by the most amazing parents anyone could ask for, and I...
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May 5, 2026
My name is Alivia Barker, and I’m a 36-year-old woman living in Boca Raton, Florida. Today, I focus my energy on spreading joy and love while building meaningful connections; whether through my work as a personal organizer, my volunteer role as a Big Sister through Jewish Family Services, or my treasured relationships with friends and family. I feel incredibly fortunate...
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April 20, 2026
I am a third-year Health Sciences major from Solon, Ohio, and the Vice President of Administrative Affairs on Ohio State Hillel’s student executive board. I grew up in your average American Jewish household, which is to say that, for as long as I could remember, my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all told me I needed to go on Birthright...
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April 15, 2026
I grew up in Plainview, Long Island, in a Conservative household. My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, so Jewish identity was very important in my family. We were all raised very Zionist. Israel was always this mystical place in my head. My mom had been there; my dad hadn't. I was dying to go because I'd heard so much about...
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April 14, 2026
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am a former pre-professional ballet dancer with an intense love for reading and writing, a soft spot for crafts, and a burning passion to see and change the world. My Jewish identity was rooted in questioning, learning, and a strong but impersonal connection to Israel. I grew up being told Torah...
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April 13, 2026
My twin sister, my brother and I were adopted from China and grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, near the ocean. My whole extended family is Ashkenazi Jewish, with a mix of Reform and Conservative. We kept kosher strictly in my home and observed Shabbat, and I had my bat mitzvah and went to Jewish summer camp. I started...
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March 27, 2026
I'm originally from Brooklyn, and I attended college and law school in New York City. I'm married, I'm observant by choice, and I have teenage twins. I've always known that as an adult, you have to constantly reinvest in your commitment to Judaism. It's not something that just happens. It has to be planned. It has to be intentional. After...
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March 23, 2026
Brandeis University has documented the sharpest decline in Jewish connection among young American Jews in 25 years. Without intervention, campus pressure, misinformation, and political polarization are pulling young Jews away from Jewish life. Birthright Israel is the proven solution: participants return more connected to Israel, more grounded in their Jewish identity, and more committed to the Jewish community. The impact...
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March 13, 2026
Last week, 500 Birthright Israel Excel Fellows from around the world gathered at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York for the Excelerate26 Summit. To understand why this weekend mattered, you first need to understand who was in that room and what brought them there. Who Was In That Room Birthright Israel Excel Fellows are students from Harvard, Stanford,...
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