Birthright Israel Helped Me Uncover Why I Value My Judaism and Israel 

I grew up going to Hebrew school three times a week, celebrating the High Holidays, and having Seder with my family. Being Jewish was an important part of my identity, but it was directed and led by my parents. It wasn’t like they were asking me, “Do you want to be Jewish? Do you want to go to Hebrew school?” It was more like, “You go to Hebrew school three times a week. We celebrate this holiday on this day. You’re coming to Passover.” I wasn’t the one making the decisions or committing to the traditions.  

As I got older, I started asking myself: why is being Jewish important to me? I knew it was important but I wasn’t totally sure why. I wanted to figure it out on my own. Birthright Israel gave me the opportunity to answer those questions for myself. No one was forcing me to go. My older siblings had gone, but I wanted to go under my own volition, to discover why being Jewish and supporting Israel mattered to me. 

What I discovered was that Judaism, for me, is about community. I’m not someone who is deeply religious. I grew up going to a Conservative temple, but in terms of the religious views, I’m still figuring out where I stand. What really stuck out to me was being in Israel, surrounded by Jews my own age from all over the country, and realizing the value and strength and resiliency of the community. That’s what I loved about it. Judaism to me is having that larger family around you. 

Israel itself—Tel Aviv on the beach, the desert, the Golan Heights—it’s just a beautiful country. But beyond that, it was the culture and the vibe that really stuck with me. These open, joyful people who live every day with so much energy and love for life. 

Some of the most meaningful experiences came from being with the Israeli soldiers on our trip. There were six of them, and the day after visiting Yad Vashem we went to Mount Herzl. They all knew someone buried there. We saw a father speaking to a group at his son’s grave. I looked at pictures of eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds, younger than me, and thought: these are kids I would have been friends with if we had grown up in the same town. 

There’s death and tragedy in the world every day, but when you feel a personal connection, it hits more deeply. Being there with the soldiers, seeing how they felt visiting their friends’ graves, hit me hard. And yet they were so open, so willing to share. They wanted us to ask questions. Nothing was too touchy. In just six or seven days, we got to know each other so well. That experience showed me what Judaism means to me: peoplehood. It’s the connections and relationships, not just with Israelis, but also with the Americans on my trip. 

Yad Vashem also left me with something new. Of course, I was knowledgeable about the Holocaust. But this time, what I couldn’t stop thinking about was that there are people today who want to repeat it. Groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, regimes like Iran. They want a Holocaust in 2025. 

After that visit, I felt like it was my duty, as a Jew, to stand up and do my part to help our people survive and thrive. We’re such a small fraction of the world’s population. Everyone has to contribute. 

Coming home, I wanted to learn more about Israel’s history and wars. I started reading more, paying closer attention to the news, and speaking up more. Birthright gave me the confidence to be vocal. In group chats, with friends, I became comfortable pushing back on misinformation. It made me want to stand up for Israel in a way I hadn’t before. 

It also made me feel drawn to Israel in a way I never had before. I’m actually looking for jobs in Tel Aviv now. Before the trip, that wasn’t even a thought. But while I was there, I felt this pull. I’ve never felt that way about any other place in the world. 

That’s what makes Birthright Israel so powerful. You can’t replicate the feeling of actually being there. You can read about Israel, you can meet Israelis in the U.S., but it’s not the same. Being in Israel changes you. 

And I think about the timing. With TikTok and social media, information spreads so fast. A headline can go viral in minutes. College campuses are full of misinformation and hostility toward Israel. That’s why Birthright is more important than ever. If young Jews are going to stand up against hate and misinformation, they need to feel pride and confidence in their identity. 

That’s what Birthright Israel gave me: the strength to stand up, the pride to be Jewish, and the clarity to know why I care. And at the same time, it was just a great trip. Ten days of fun, new experiences, and amazing people. 

Some people think Birthright is already funded by philanthropists and doesn’t need additional support. That’s not true. It takes the entire Jewish community to make it possible. It’s our responsibility to give this gift to the next generation. It’s so important for young Jewish adults to go on Birthright Israel because it gives them the strength to stand up and support Israel, and to understand why it deeply matters.