Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

August 27, 2025

My Zionism is Unshakable Thanks to Birthright Israel Excel

by Zachary Sardi-Santos , 2025 Birthright Israel Excel Fellow

I am a senior at Harvard studying Applied Math and Computer Science. I was born and raised in Newton, Massachusetts. My mom is Ashkenazi Jewish. Her entire family, for centuries, are Ashkenazi Jews from Budapest, Hungary. It was and had always been their home. Of course, this changed with the Holocaust—most of my mother’s family were robbed of their homes,...

Alums Leadership & Supporters Trip Highlights

August 26, 2025

My Journey Creating Ripples of Leadership with Birthright Israel

by Avery Rosin , 2011 Birthright Israel Excel Fellow

I grew up in Los Angeles, third generation, in a Reform Jewish household. We always celebrated the holidays, and Hanukkah was my favorite. I loved playing dreidel, lighting the candles, and gathering with close friends and family. My parents hosted a Hanukkah party every year, and we were lucky to have friends who made the best latkes in town. Passover...

Alums Trip Highlights

August 22, 2025

Birthright Israel Showed Me a Proud Future I Never Imagined

by Josh Rose , 2025 Birthright Israel Volunteer

I’m from Manchester but have lived in London for 7 years. I am passionate about writing, particularly writing about being gay and Jewish. My short film Sinnerman—about two gay Jewish men—was selected for the BAFTA-accredited UK Jewish Film Festival, as well as 6 other film festivals. I am currently writing a feature film about a similar topic. My connection to...

Alums Trip Highlights

August 22, 2025

Birthright Israel Helped Me Finally Feel “Jewish Enough”

by Emma Rothman , 2025 Birthright Israel Alumna

I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and I’m now a senior at Skidmore College. I study education and psychology with a minor in dance. For as long as I can remember I thought I would become a teacher, but recently I’ve considered going into school social work or child psychology instead. My earliest memories of Judaism are from the preschool...

Alums Trip Highlights

August 22, 2025

Birthright Israel Helped Me Lead the Montreal Jewish Community

by Yair Szlak , 2002 Birthright Israel Alumnus

People say, “Birthright changed my life,” and you wonder, what does that actually mean? Well, 23 and a half years after my Birthright Israel trip, I’m the President and CEO of Federation CJA in Montreal. And when I look back — on my personal life, my marriage to a Jewish woman, my professional path in the Jewish community, and everything...

Alums Trip Highlights

August 22, 2025

Helping Farmers and Hostage Families as a Birthright Israel Volunteer

by Jennifer Levine-Emdur , 2025 Birthright Israel Volunteer

I grew up in Montreal in a home where we didn’t need to be told why Judaism mattered; it was ingrained. My parents and grandparents set the example. Every Friday night, without exception, we had Shabbat dinner. We weren’t strictly Shomer Shabbat, but family always came first. From the time I was little, Israel was part of my life. My...

Alums Trip Highlights

August 21, 2025

Birthright Israel Opened My Eyes and Made Me a Global Activist

by Ashley Waxman Bakshi , 2003 Birthright Israel Alumna

I was born in Canada to Israeli parents who had left Israel before my birth. My three brothers were born there. My parents were very Zionist, but they immigrated because my dad had PTSD from the Yom Kippur War, and didn’t want his sons to go into the army and experience what he went through. At home we spoke Hebrew,...

Alums

July 25, 2025

On a Birthright Israel Volunteer Trip for Participants with Disabilities

by Annie Michaels , 2024 Birthright Israel Volunteer Alumna

My name is Annie Michaels, I’m 32, and I live in Chicago. I was part of a Birthright Israel Volunteer trip in September 2024. This trip was created for individuals with disabilities from the U.S. and Canada who had attended Camp Ramah in the past. The purpose of the trip was to volunteer during a time of war and to...

Alums

July 23, 2025

From Prank Calls to Purpose with Birthright Israel

by Gary Guz , 2013 Birthright Israel Alumnus

I was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and came to the U.S. when I was a year and a half old. Fresh off the boat except it was a flight with a layover in Italy and I had no say in the matter. Russian was my first language. My second language was also Russian. English eventually showed up, uninvited but necessary....

Alums

July 21, 2025

Birthright Israel Showed Me That Empathy is the Antidote to Hate

by Brandon Farbstein , 2023 Birthright Israel Alumnus

I grew up in Richmond, Virginia. It’s not the smallest Jewish community, but it’s not L.A. either — where I live now. Growing up, I was nearly always the only Jewish kid in my class. One of maybe three or four in my entire grade. We observed the High Holy Days, did some Shabbat dinners, and I had a bar...

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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

My Zionism is Unshakable Thanks to Birthright Israel Excel

My Journey Creating Ripples of Leadership with Birthright Israel

Birthright Israel Showed Me a Proud Future I Never Imagined

Birthright Israel Helped Me Finally Feel “Jewish Enough”

Birthright Israel Helped Me Lead the Montreal Jewish Community

Helping Farmers and Hostage Families as a Birthright Israel Volunteer

Birthright Israel Opened My Eyes and Made Me a Global Activist

On a Birthright Israel Volunteer Trip for Participants with Disabilities

From Prank Calls to Purpose with Birthright Israel

Birthright Israel Showed Me That Empathy is the Antidote to Hate

Donate Now

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