July 20, 2026
July 20, 2026
July 15, 2026
July 15, 2026
July 15, 2026
I grew up in upstate New York, where there weren't that many Jews around. I graduated from Tulane in New Orleans and am now in medical school. My parents are Reform, and my family came over from Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. We've kept up Jewish traditions ever since.Growing up without much of a Jewish community, we always talked...
Read More
June 23, 2026
It was January of 2004, and I was nineteen years old, rolling my luggage out of Ben Gurion Airport for the first time. Something tumbled off the top. A young Israeli security guard bent down to pick it up. Our eyes locked, and the bells rang — at least for me. I looked at him and said, with all the...
Read More
June 11, 2026
I'm from Miami, and a biochemistry pre-med student at the University of Florida. My dream is to become a cardiovascular surgeon. My parents are Orthodox and Sephardic, so I grew up passionate about our traditions and customs. I had been hearing about Birthright Israel my whole life. My friends and I had been talking about it since we were in...
Read More
June 11, 2026
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, and a junior at the University of Florida. I attended Jewish day school through eighth grade, where we learned in both Hebrew and English. That's where I got my first real sense of Jewish identity. But at a public high school, that faded into the background.In college, I joined a Jewish fraternity. My new friends were...
Read More
June 11, 2026
I almost didn't go on Birthright Israel. My best friend, who isn't Jewish, told me flat out: “I support you and I love you, but I don't want you to go. I’m scared. I would rather you be home for winter break.” Hearing her say that really made me second-guess myself. Am I doing something stupid? Am I going to...
Read More
June 11, 2026
Hello! First and foremost, I would like to thank the Birthright Israel Foundation donors for providing me the opportunity to travel to Israel. It was the experience of a lifetime, shared with Jewish people from around the world, and one that I will be forever grateful for.My name is Jason Eichner and I am a 26-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio. I...
Read More
June 11, 2026
I think my words from our closing session, where our group looked back on our Birthright trip and said some emotional goodbyes, might be the best place to start in reflecting on the experience:“I had the opportunity to come to Israel once before [with my Jewish Day School class], and when we had to leave, I was very sad, as...
Read More
May 28, 2026
Because of my family ties, Israel always held a special place in my life. My mother is Israeli, and much of her family still lives in Israel, so I grew up hearing stories about the country and feeling connected to it from a young age. I was raised Jewish by the most amazing parents anyone could ask for, and I...
Read More
May 5, 2026
My name is Alivia Barker, and I’m a 36-year-old woman living in Boca Raton, Florida. Today, I focus my energy on spreading joy and love while building meaningful connections; whether through my work as a personal organizer, my volunteer role as a Big Sister through Jewish Family Services, or my treasured relationships with friends and family. I feel incredibly fortunate...
Read More
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 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