April 1, 2025
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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April 1, 2025
I grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia. My mom enrolled me in a Jewish preschool, so I was immersed in Jewish culture from early on. I remember chopping fruit for Shabbat and making challah. I loved it. I was always a curious kid, eager to learn, and I’d follow along with my older friends in Hebrew school....
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March 31, 2025
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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March 28, 2025
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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February 19, 2025
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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February 18, 2025
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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February 12, 2025
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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February 11, 2025
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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February 10, 2025
My name is Amberley Gin, and I am from Delray Beach, Florida. I am a recent Spring 2023 graduate from Florida State University, and I currently work as a public relations specialist at an agency in Tallahassee, FL. My passions include singing, dancing, art, fashion, etc. – basically anything creative. I love animals, nature, traveling, and going to EDM music...
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January 27, 2025
In the aftermath of the October 7th attacks, Birthright Israel was one of the few bridges connecting Israelis to Jews in the Diaspora. Although the signature 10-day trips were paused, Birthright Israel quickly launched its Volunteer Program, offering participants like me a way to support kibbutzim affected by the war. Birthright Israel’s pivot deeply inspired me, prompting a career pivot...
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