September 14, 2020
Dear Friends, In decades to come, we will look back on 2020 as a watershed moment. The COVID-19 pandemic has already changed so much. We are in the midst of a public health crisis, an economic crisis, a race crisis, a law and order crisis, the ripples of which have been felt around the world. To rebuild what we have...
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September 11, 2020
Each year as the summer winds down, the Jewish community prepares to observe the High Holy Days. The evening breeze, the anticipation of fall, are all part of the build-up to Rosh Hashanah. We enjoy the last minutes of summer, we prepare our children and grandchildren to return to school, we shop for dresses, ties, and shoes to add to...
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September 10, 2020
Rosh Hashanah is first referred to in our texts as Yom HaZikaron - the Day of Remembrance. It is not until the Talmud that the idea of the “new year” is even associated with the day, and liturgically speaking, many of our prayers describe Rosh Hashanah as one of memory - a reflection on the past rather than an aspiration...
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September 10, 2020
Like hundreds of thousands of other Jewish parents, Rob Clarfeld first learned of Birthright Israel when his son went on a trip. He remembers his son Larry, then a student at the University of Vermont, informing him: “I’m going to Israel with a group called Birthright Israel.” Within a few weeks, Larry and his girlfriend (now wife) were in Israel;...
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September 8, 2020
As a mom, it is important that my son Jonah achieve special milestones throughout his life. When Jonah was diagnosed with high functioning autism at a young age, I wasn’t sure if he would have the same opportunities as other kids. This included the chance to experience Jewish milestones. Our family belongs to Temple Sinai in Atlanta, Georgia. Jonah went...
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September 1, 2020
Throughout the last twenty years, Birthright Israel Foundation has changed tens of thousands of young Jewish lives in Philadelphia. This is in large part due to the incredible local lay leadership, proving Philadelphia is truly the City of Brotherly Love. We must thank our local lay leaders Margie Honickman, Gail Norry, Susan Schwartz and the late Madlyn Abramson z'l who...
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August 27, 2020
In 2014, when Courtney and Shahriar both boarded planes to Israel, they never imagined they'd met their future spouse. Courtney was living in Phoenix and Shahriar was living in Encino when they signed up and despite Operation Protective Edge going on in Israel, they both knew this trip was too important to pass up. After falling in love on Birthright...
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August 25, 2020
I returned from my Birthright Israel trip several months ago now. There, I took advantage of the opportunity to have a Bat Mitzvah at the age of 23, during which each participant spoke about what they wanted to commit to from that day forward. Below, I reflect on this speech, discussing what my trip meant to me and how the...
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August 24, 2020
Over 20 years ago, 9,000 Jewish young adults embarked on the first round of Birthright Israel trips. They were pioneering travelers who signed up for the free trip without any point of reference, like the wealth of alumni testimonials and Brandeis University studies available to prospective participants today. “I left the United States with no preconceived notions or expectations of...
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August 21, 2020
Growing up, I went to Sunday school every Sunday until I was 16. For a time, I was even at the synagogue on a weekday evening after soccer practice for Hebrew/religious school as well. At a young age, I felt connected to my Jewish identity; I loved the songs, the prayers, the food (other than maror), the holidays, and the...
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