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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Abel Hernandez Eskenazi Featured
Alums

July 1, 2025

Birthright Israel Helped Me Become a Jewish Cuban Leader

by Abel Hernández Eskenazi , 2023 Birthright Israel Alumnus

In honor of Birthright Israel’s 25th anniversary, we’re proud to spotlight 25 outstanding alumni and share their inspiring stories with you. I’m from Havana, Cuba, and I’ve been part of the Jewish community since I was a child. My family is deeply involved: my mom is the vice president of the Beth Shalom Synagogue, the most important congregation in Cuba....

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Jared Firestone Featured
Alums

June 30, 2025

Birthright Israel Reignited My Olympic Journey 

by Jared Firestone , 2021 Birthright Israel Alumnus

I grew up in South Florida in a proudly Zionist household. I went to Jewish day school from kindergarten through eighth grade, and Israel was always part of the conversation at home. That connection came from my grandparents and parents. My mom had been to Israel once as a child; my dad had never been. But Israel was something we...

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Max Grosman FEATURED
Alums

June 26, 2025

Birthright Israel Helped Me Spark a Jewish Revival in Argentina 

by Maximiliano Grosman , 2003 Birthright Israel Alumnus

In honor of Birthright Israel’s 25th anniversary, we’re proud to spotlight 25 outstanding alumni and share their inspiring stories with you. I’m 49 years old, and I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with my wife, our two kids, and a dog. In my professional life, I’m the CEO of a health company and manage a hospital. I also organize medical...

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Robert Tanen FEATURED
Alums Trip Highlights

June 25, 2025

Birthright Israel Inspired My Work to Preserve Holocaust Memory

by Robert Tanen , Southeast Regional Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

I grew up in Wellington, Florida, a quiet suburb on the western edge of Palm Beach County. Back then, it felt like the middle of nowhere, the last stop before the hinterlands. To the north was rural Loxahatchee, with its giant trucks and Confederate flags. To the west and further inland, you had Belle Glade, then one of the most...

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Alums Trip Highlights

June 17, 2025

My Brother Joshua Led Me to Birthright Israel and Jewish Education

by Jordan Feinberg , 2016 Birthright Israel Alumnus

I've always been proud to be Jewish. Growing up as an Ashkenazi Jew, I found joy in celebrating holidays and traditions with my family, watching the Rugrats Passover special on an orange VHS tape, and listening to Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song.” Of course, my pride and connection to Judaism was also deeply rooted in food. My Grandma Mindy’s matzo ball...

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Yasmeen Ohebsion featured
Alums

June 11, 2025

Why I Fight: Birthright Israel Helped Me Speak Up and Take Action

by Yasmeen Ohebsion , 2024 Birthright Israel Excel Alumna

In honor of Birthright Israel’s 25th anniversary, we’re proud to spotlight 25 outstanding alumni and share their inspiring stories with you. I was raised in Los Angeles in a proud, close-knit Iranian Jewish family. My father left Iran during the Revolution. My mother grew up in Israel and moved to the U.S. when she was seventeen. Most of my extended...

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NYC Birthright Israel Alumni Gather to Celebrate, Reflect & Give Back
Alums Events Leadership & Supporters

May 17, 2025

NYC Birthright Israel Alumni Gather to Celebrate, Reflect & Give Back

by Birthright Israel Foundation

On May 14, Birthright Israel alumni, supporters, and friends gathered at The Ivory Peacock to celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary and launch a new era of alumni leadership. From cocktails and conversations to inspiring remarks and a stirring alumni spotlight, the evening was a testament to what’s possible when young Jews step up to lead—and give back. Together, we raised...

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Alums

May 15, 2025

New Brandeis Data Shows Birthright Israel’s Impact in a Year of Resilience

by Birthright Israel Foundation

In this defining moment, Birthright Israel is a guiding force for Jewish resilience. Brandeis University has the data. In 2024, as Israel faced war on multiple fronts and antisemitism surged, especially on college campuses, 18,700 Jewish young adults chose to travel to Israel with us. They weren’t deterred. They were determined — to understand the reality on the ground, affirm...

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Alums Trip Highlights

May 5, 2025

Finding Hope and Purpose As a Birthright Israel Volunteer

by Isaac Malca , 2023 Birthright Israel Volunteer

When I was a kid, my family moved around a lot — from Mexico to Vancouver, eventually settling in Houston. But no matter where we lived, one thing was constant: our connection to Judaism and the Jewish community. In Houston, I was lucky to attend Beren Academy, where I developed a strong sense of Jewish pride and learned the importance...

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Brooke Pertnoy FEATURED
Alums

April 17, 2025

Birthright Israel Helped Me Find My Calling in Jewish Early Childhood Education 

by Brooke Pertnoy , Birthright Israel Alumna

Brooke Pertnoy is the Director of the Barbara & Jack Kay Early Childhood Learning Center at the Mandel JCC in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I was born and raised in Florida. My dad is Jewish, and my mom converted when they got married — though she still celebrated Christmas, so in some ways, we were a mixed-faith household. I went...

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