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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

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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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Rachel Moon FEATURED IMG
Alums Trip Highlights

April 8, 2025

Birthright Israel Is So Much More Than Fun 

by Rachel Moon , Birthright Israel Alumna

Rachel Moon is a beauty and fashion influencer and a pro-Israel activist with over 100,000 followers. She lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. My mom is Jewish. My dad wasn’t, but he adopted everything — every tradition, every holiday. He even led our Seders. My Jewish identity has been important to me for as long as I can remember....

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Masha Bakshiyeva FEATURED IMG
Alums Trip Highlights

April 8, 2025

From Soviet Silence to Jewish Pride with Birthright Israel 

by Masha Bakshiyeva , 2015 Birthright Israel Alumni, 2024 Volunteer

I’m 32 years old, born in Russia, and raised in New Jersey. My family came to the U.S. in 1996 as refugees fleeing antisemitism in the former Soviet Union. I’ve spent my adult life in America, working in the entertainment industry, and more recently transitioning into the mental health space. Being of service — giving back — has always been...

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Rina Factor FEATURED IMG
Alums Trip Highlights

April 7, 2025

Through Birthright Israel, I Finally Understood My Brother’s Choice

by Rina Factor , 2024 Birthright Israel Alumna

My mother is Korean and my father is Israeli. I grew up Modern Orthodox, in a Zionist home, waving blue-and-white flags at my Jewish Orthodox school on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Before October 7th, I grew up hearing stories of my grandparents who survived the Holocaust, and my grandfather who served in the IDF and narrowly escaped death several times fighting for...

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Alums Trip Highlights

April 1, 2025

Why I Became a Birthright Israel Volunteer at 49

by Felicia Dlugolenski , 2023 Birthright Israel Volunteer

I didn’t go on Birthright when I was younger. I had been to Israel once before — on a family trip in July 2023, just a few months before October 7th. That vacation lit a spark. But after October 7th, something shifted. The fire was lit. Honestly, it started with an Instagram ad. I saw something pop up about volunteer...

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Alums Trip Highlights

March 31, 2025

A Lifelong Commitment to Birthright Israel

by Jon Warech , Birthright Israel 1998 Alumnus

Jon Warech is the Executive Director of the Hillel at Florida International University. As the marketing material of Birthright celebrating its 25th anniversary began to go viral in the Fall, I started to do some math and got a little confused. I went on Birthright with University of Florida Hillel in December of 1998… 26 years ago. After an intense...

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Alums Love Stories Trip Highlights

March 28, 2025

We Became Soulmates On Birthright Israel

by Jenn and Elie Zussman , Birthright Israel 2000 Alumni

Jenn and Elie Zussman met as college students on one of the first Birthright Israel trips in 1999. They married in 2006 and live in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with their two daughters. Jenn: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, in Pikesville, with a strong Jewish community. My upbringing felt very natural and supportive. But when I went to the University of...

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