April 16, 2026
I grew up in Houston, Texas. I went to Jewish day school at one of the largest synagogues in the country. I was very proud as a young Jewish kid. I went to Camp Ramah, Camp Tel Yehuda, I was in BBYO—I checked all the boxes. I had a huge passion for Judaism and for Israel. But I didn’t think...
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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 14, 2026
I am a Chabad rabbi living in Dallas, Texas, though I’m originally from England. I work primarily in Jewish adult education. My parents were both from South Africa, and I grew up in a Zionist family. After I met my wife, who is American, I moved to the U.S. in 2002. I wasn’t raised observant, but I became observant in...
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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 25, 2026
On March 23, Birthright Israel Foundation brought together more than 150 supporters at the Norton Museum of Art's Great Lawn for its annual Palm Beach event, an inspiring night of community, conversation, and commitment to the next generation. Honorary Chairs Rita and Charles Bronfman and Co-Chairs Susan and Ronnie Pertnoy showed guests what 27 years of visionary philanthropy can build....
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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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February 5, 2026
This reflection was written in January 2025, following a Birthright Israel staff mission to Israel. I was there during the release of hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, who had been held in Hamas captivity for more than a year. I landed back home just 24 hours ago, and I am still in disbelief at what I experienced....
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December 30, 2025
I’ve spent about 40 years involved in different Jewish philanthropic organizations, and I’ve learned a lot—some of it inspiring, some of it frustrating, and most of it complicated in the way only Jewish life can be complicated. At the end of the day, I try to look at the broader picture of where we are as a people, what’s happening...
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