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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

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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700x500_Felicia-Dlugolenski
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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How Birthright Israel Foundation Is Part of a Global Movement
Alums Trip Highlights

February 19, 2025

How Birthright Israel Foundation Is Part of a Global Movement

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Since it was founded over 25 years ago, more than 900,000 Jewish young adults from around the world have joyously claimed their birthright as part of a global movement to ensure a strong and vibrant future for the Jewish people. This educational and life-changing trip to the Jewish homeland is known as Birthright Israel. In the U.S., Birthright Israel Foundation...

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Alums Trip Highlights

February 18, 2025

Birthright Israel Connected My Soul to the Place Where My Family Got Its Name

by Laura Fasman , 2024 Birthright Israel Alumna

My name is Laura Fasman, and I’m from California. I am a yoga teacher, a nature and animal lover, and a Reform Jew. I went on my Birthright Israel trip in September of 2024. Before I visited, my connection to Israel was based upon the experiences of others, from my older cousins’ Birthright Israel trips to the lives of Israelis...

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700x500_Adina-Fridman
Alums Trip Highlights

February 12, 2025

Birthright Israel Showed Me A Country That Refuses to Be Broken

by Adina Fridman , 2024 Birthright Israel Alumna

My name is Adina Fridman. I am originally from Toronto, Canada, but am currently a sophomore at New York University. I am majoring in Politics with minors in Public Policy and Hebrew and Judaic Studies. Naturally, I am interested in current events and government, with a focus on international relations and international politics. I have always attended Jewish schools, where...

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Alums Trip Highlights

February 11, 2025

How Birthright Israel Helped Me Opt In to Judaism

by Zach Wainright , Birthright Israel Alumnus

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, in Highland Park, which is a very Jewish community—about 50% Jewish. I came from an interfaith household, and my Jewish experience was more cultural than religious. My mom’s whole family, the Jewish side, had come over from Eastern Europe, but they had passed away before I was born. Judaism wasn’t something I...

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