July 7, 2022
Noah Friedman is a 2022 Birthright Israel alumnus from San Antonio, TX. He is currently a sophomore chemistry major at Texas A&M University. At campus, Noah is a leader at the Hillel and is also involved with MOVE Texas, a progressive grassroots student organization focused on increasing voter registration. Noah is outspoken on issues that face the Jewish community, and...
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July 6, 2022
It’s simple: I am the person I am today because of Onward Israel. Growing up, I was a handful, especially when it came to being Jewish. If there was a world record for the number of times someone faked being sick to stay home from Hebrew school, I would hold it. In fact, if you asked my Rabbi who was...
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June 16, 2022
Birthright Israel alumnus Jake Niefeld is currently a student at the University Kansas studying Spanish Education. He's originally from Minneapolis, MN, and absolutely loves to be outdoors. Jake also enjoys playing his guitar and any kind of sport, most specifically, Ultimate Frisbee. In our interview below, we caught up with Jake and wanted to know why he thought Birthright Israel...
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June 16, 2022
Levi Meir Clancy was born in Los Angeles, CA, and is of Ashkenazi and Okinawan descent. Levi's work, passions, and hobbies are all one and the same. He explained that growing up with a minority’s perspective on survival from both sides of his family — an estimated one-third to one-half of Okinawans perished in atrocities during World War II —...
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June 13, 2022
Caleb Esrig grew up in New Rochelle, NY, where he attended Solomon Schechter School of Westchester (now The Leffell School), where he first developed his passion for Judaism. For college, Caleb attended Harvard, where he studied Economics and worked closely with Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Harvard Hillel. Today, Caleb works as an associate consultant in Bain & Company's New...
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May 9, 2022
Jacob Babbin is a 2022 Birthright Israel alumnus with Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD). Non-Verbal Learning Disability is when people struggle with various conditions that include social and spatial disabilities. Jacob knew about the Birthright Israel program but thought he would not be a good fit because of his disability. Nonetheless, Jacob pushed himself to sign up and was elated with...
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May 5, 2022
You'd guess right if you guessed that Jewish mothers are some of Birthright Israel's biggest fans and Birthright Israel Foundation's most devoted supporters. For over two decades, Jewish moms and grandmothers have encouraged their offspring to sign up for Birthright Israel. They know that a peer-led experience in Israel encourages their children to find their own connections to the land...
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May 2, 2022
Coming from a mixed family, with what many might call an unorthodox Jewish upbringing, I’m probably the last person you’d expect to dedicate my professional and much of my personal life to advocating for the Jewish people and Israel. I grew up with a very unaffiliated Jewish father, a Chinese-American mother, and an uber-liberal, atheist Jewish grandmother. I always knew...
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April 27, 2022
There are many lessons and sites young Jews on Birthright Israel will never forget, and perhaps the place that impacts participants the most is Yad Vashem. The museum, known as the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, was established in 1953 and is the globe's leader in Holocaust education. Tripadvisor ranks it as one of the Top 25 Museums in the World....
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April 16, 2022
To start, Birthright Israel changed my life. It has changed my life spiritually, mentally, romantically (which you will hear about later). I want to leave you with suspense! When I am asked to share my Birthright Israel story, it's difficult to decide where to begin because my experience has provided me with so many different outlets and avenues that impacted...
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