August 22, 2025
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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August 22, 2025
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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August 21, 2025
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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August 14, 2025
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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August 14, 2025
Last week, our Birthright Israel Volunteer program had the privilege of welcoming an extraordinary group of participants to Israel — parents of Lone Soldiers from the U.S., Russia, and Argentina. These brave young men and women have chosen to serve in the Israel Defense Forces far from home, and their parents traveled thousands of miles to not only see them...
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July 30, 2025
On June 12th at 7:40 pm local time in Chicago, I received a WhatsApp text from my nineteen-year-old son Matthew who was in Israel: You’ve probably heard what’s happening now I am safe in the subway I was out to dinner with friends and had just gotten an alert saying that Israel had preemptively struck Iran as part of its...
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June 25, 2025
I grew up in Wellington, Florida, a quiet suburb on the western edge of Palm Beach County. Back then, it felt like the middle of nowhere, the last stop before the hinterlands. To the north was rural Loxahatchee, with its giant trucks and Confederate flags. To the west and further inland, you had Belle Glade, then one of the most...
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June 20, 2025
This article appeared in The Times of Israel on June 20, 2025. This is what it felt like to be there — leading a magical LGBTQ+ Birthright Israel group through 10 days of joy, three days of shelter, two days evacuated to safety in the Dead Sea and an emergency sunrise cruise international mission. The Pride Parade in Tel Aviv...
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June 17, 2025
I've always been proud to be Jewish. Growing up as an Ashkenazi Jew, I found joy in celebrating holidays and traditions with my family, watching the Rugrats Passover special on an orange VHS tape, and listening to Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song.” Of course, my pride and connection to Judaism was also deeply rooted in food. My Grandma Mindy’s matzo ball...
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May 5, 2025
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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