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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Paige Cobrin FEATURED
Alums Trip Highlights

September 2, 2025

Birthright Israel Excel Showed Me the Importance of Speaking Up

by Paige Cobrin , 2025 Birthright Israel Excel Fellow

I’m a junior at Cornell University studying mechanical engineering and business. I’m from Fairfield County, Connecticut, and Judaism has always been a strong part of my life. I grew up going to Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, where I learned the prayers and experienced Jewish community. We’d have services every morning and Kabbalat Shabbat all together in a big amphitheater...

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Jared Erman FEATURED
Alums Trip Highlights

August 27, 2025

Birthright Israel Onward Was the Best Summer of My Life

by Jared Erman , 2025 Birthright Israel Onward Alumnus

I’m a junior at Ohio State from New Jersey. I’m studying finance with a minor in music. Maybe one day I’ll find a way to bring the two together. At school I’m on the Chabad board, and I’m also part of Tamid, a student organization that works with Israeli startups. Through Tamid, I learned about the fellowship that took me...

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Zachary Sardi-Santos FEATURED
Alums Trip Highlights

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,...

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Avery Rosin FEATURED
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...

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Josh Rose FEATURED - 1
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...

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Emma Rothman FEATURED
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...

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Yair Szlak FEATURED - 1
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...

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Jennifer Levine FEATURED
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...

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Ashley WB FEATURED-min
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,...

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Maddy's photos FEATURED
Trip Highlights

August 14, 2025

Birthright Israel’s Summer of Jewish Connection

by Birthright Israel Foundation

After June’s disruption, Birthright Israel has fully rebounded. In this challenging year for Jewish communities, giving young adults pride, connection, and resilience has never been more important. This summer, 10,000 young Jews from North America, Europe, Latin America, India, Australia, South Africa, and the former Soviet Union participated in our 10-day trips. They join our global family of more than...

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