May 28, 2026
May 28, 2026
May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026
April 20, 2026
I am a third-year Health Sciences major from Solon, Ohio, and the Vice President of Administrative Affairs on Ohio State Hillel’s student executive board. I grew up in your average American Jewish household, which is to say that, for as long as I could remember, my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all told me I needed to go on Birthright...
Read More
April 15, 2026
I grew up in Plainview, Long Island, in a Conservative household. My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, so Jewish identity was very important in my family. We were all raised very Zionist. Israel was always this mystical place in my head. My mom had been there; my dad hadn't. I was dying to go because I'd heard so much about it....
Read More
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 stories...
Read More
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 college...
Read More
March 27, 2026
I'm originally from Brooklyn, and I attended college and law school in New York City. I'm married, I'm observant by choice, and I have teenage twins. I've always known that as an adult, you have to constantly reinvest in your commitment to Judaism. It's not something that just happens. It has to be planned. It has to be intentional. After October...
Read More
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 doesn't fade...
Read More
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 RoomBirthright Israel Excel Fellows are students from Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Cambridge,...
Read More
March 4, 2026
I grew up in Commack, Long Island, in a Reform Jewish family. My parents are from the Bronx, and although our home wasn’t kosher, I had my bar mitzvah, and spent summers going up to the Catskills for family reunions.I never originally saw myself as a Jewish educator. I saw myself as Jewish and happened to work in a yeshiva...
Read More
February 17, 2026
My name is Tatyana Kheyfets, and I live in San Ramon, California. I was born in Gomel, Belarus, and immigrated to the United States in 1995 when I was nine years old. My life has always been shaped by the desire to build meaningful relationships, learn from different perspectives, and stay actively engaged with my community. Growing up in Belarus,...
Read MoreWithout your donations to Birthright Israel Foundation, this gift isn't possible. Secure the Jewish future today by investing in this transformational trip for Jewish young adults.
Donate Now