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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Stories of Connection to Our Favorite Jewish Traditions
Alums Trip Highlights

July 21, 2021

Stories of Connection to Our Favorite Jewish Traditions

by Birthright Israel Foundation

“Tradition!” Loveable milkman Tevye belts out his famous song in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, vocalizing the traditional family roles of shtetl Jews in Czarist Russia. Our people’s connection to tradition dates back to long before the 1964 show and the time period it depicts. Our rich cultural heritage has been passed down since Abraham, generation after...

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Jewish Art, Fashion, and Food: Exploring Israeli Influences
Alums Trip Highlights

July 19, 2021

Jewish Art, Fashion, and Food: Exploring Israeli Influences

by Birthright Israel Foundation

While Jewish Americans and Israelis are kindred spirits, you were likely in for a culture shock the first time you visited the holy land. Americans, for instance, tend to sugarcoat things. Israelis tell it like it is. As one Birthright Israel trip provider puts it, “If you want the hard truth (or even if you don’t), Israelis are more than...

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For These US Jews of Color, Encountering Israel’s Diversity Was an Eye-Opening and Affirming Experience
Alums Trip Highlights

July 15, 2021

For These US Jews of Color, Encountering Israel’s Diversity Was an Eye-Opening and Affirming Experience

by Michele Chabin

JERUSALEM – Arel Moodie, the son of a white Jewish mother and a Black father, experienced a core identity struggle through most of his teenage years. "It was one of the biggest pieces of turmoil in my adolescence," said Moodie, who was raised in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn and attended Jewish camps every summer. "I asked myself, 'Who...

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Staying Connected with Jewish Friends Long After a Birthright Israel Trip
Alums Trip Highlights

July 15, 2021

Staying Connected with Jewish Friends Long After a Birthright Israel Trip

by Birthright Israel Foundation

While everyone’s a bundle of nerves about meeting new people and making Jewish friends before their Birthright Israel trip, the fear quickly melts away when they instantly connect with their group. The 40 or so Jewish young adults from throughout the Diaspora and Israel grow as close as family as they embrace their homeland and heritage on this life-changing trip....

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Meet Former IDF Paratrooper and Birthright Israel Alumnus Aaron
Alums Trip Highlights

June 29, 2021

Meet Former IDF Paratrooper and Birthright Israel Alumnus Aaron

by Birthright Israel Foundation

2017 Birthright Israel alumnus Aaron from Massachusetts, always knew he wanted to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and took advantage of the trip to further his desire to defend Israel and the Jewish people. Aaron returned home after Birthright Israel to finish his degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering before returning to Israel. In Israel, he became a...

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Alums Trip Highlights

June 18, 2021

Father's Day Wisdom from Birthright Israel Alumnus Alexei Brovarnik of 90 Day Fiancé

by Birthright Israel Foundation

This Father’s Day, we’re excited to feature an exclusive interview with Birthright Israel alumnus Alexei Brovarnik. Alexei participated in Birthright Israel in 2013, where he met Loren née Goldstone, who would eventually become his wife. The couple fell in love during their trip and would go on to have the most famous Birthright Israel love story in the program's 21-year...

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"Energized and inspired": After a year away, Birthright returns to Israel at a critical time
Alums Leadership & Supporters

June 11, 2021

"Energized and inspired": After a year away, Birthright returns to Israel at a critical time

by Deborah Fineblum

If you're in Israel this month, you can't miss the clusters of them downing falafel on Jerusalem's Ben-Yehuda Street, cooling off in the Dead Sea, climbing Masada at sunrise or slipping prayers between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. After more than a year of pandemic silence, the Birthrighters have returned with all the gusto of young adults...

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Alums Trip Highlights

June 8, 2021

Meet LGBTQ+ Birthright Israel Alumnus Alex Lin-Goldsmith

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Alex Lin-Goldsmith participated in Birthright Israel over 10 years ago and says he's still reaping the benefits of his trip. Like many LGBTQ+ participants, Alex discovered Israel's diverse culture and got an inside look at the country's LGBTQ+ community. From then on, he made lifelong friends and frequently spoke about his experience. In the years following his trip, Alex met...

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