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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Soul on Fire: How Birthright Ignited My Love for Israel and Led Me Home
Alums Trip Highlights

February 22, 2024

Soul on Fire: How Birthright Ignited My Love for Israel and Led Me Home

by Rosseta Tourgeman , 2019 Birthright Israel Alum

When people talk about their Birthright Israel success stories, you’ll usually hear about someone who had no previous connection to Israel returning with a newfound love for their homeland. My Birthright Israel experience, however, only intensified my existing love for Israel, so much that it led me to make the life-changing decision of making Aliyah all on my own two...

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Leadership & Supporters

February 22, 2024

Birthright Israel Foundation Sees Record Number of Donors in 2023, Raising Over $85 million, New CEO Says 

by Judah Ari Gross , eJewish Philanthropy

Elias Saratovsky, who started his position on Sept. 1, says the organization pivoted after Oct. 7, will reflect Israel’s new realities in future trips Elias Saratovsky had five weeks on the job as the new CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation before the Oct. 7 massacres in southern Israel and the start of an ongoing war against Hamas, which have...

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Volunteering, Exploring, and Questioning: An Unfiltered Look at Israel
Alums Trip Highlights

February 15, 2024

Volunteering, Exploring, and Questioning: An Unfiltered Look at Israel

by Marcus Pierre , Birthright Israel Onward Alum

I was 22 years old when I went to Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel Onward program for two months in Haifa. I volunteered with the children of Eritrean asylum seekers at an NGO called Aleph. My relationship with Israel waxed and waned throughout the years, from being immensely proud of the only Jewish nation to being...

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From Fear to Light: How Birthright Israel Opened My Jewish Heart
Alums Love Stories Trip Highlights

February 14, 2024

From Fear to Light: How Birthright Israel Opened My Jewish Heart

by Amanda Rosen , 2008 Birthright Israel Alum

My Jewish identity has always been complex, but my experience with Birthright opened my eyes to more joy than I could have prepared for. In Israel, I found a sense of independence and a deep connection to the land and people. I also found a friend who would become my husband and the father of our two boys. My introduction...

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Alums Trip Highlights

February 8, 2024

Birthright [Israel] Trippers Find Visiting Israel During War Is a Unique and Invigorating Experience

by Elana Sztokman , Jewish Telegraphic Agency

When Alon Fishman visited Israel in early January on a group trip, it wasn’t his first time in the country. But Fishman, 23, had never seen Israel like this before. When his Birthright Israel group arrived at the Western Wall, they found it uncharacteristically empty, and the plaza featured a new memorial with the names of the 1,200 victims of...

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Birthright Israel Love Story: Amanda & Eric Rosen
Alums Love Stories Trip Highlights

February 2, 2024

Birthright Israel Love Story: Amanda & Eric Rosen

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Who knew a Birthright trip could lead to happily ever after? Not Amanda and Eric! Their story began amidst the sun-kissed landscapes of Israel, where a casual bus seat conversation blossomed into a love that would change their lives. Fast forward, and they're now a Seattle-based family with two bouncing sons and a furry friend named Penny, all thanks to...

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From Law School to Leadership: How Birthright Ignited My Jewish Purpose
Alums Trip Highlights

February 1, 2024

From Law School to Leadership: How Birthright Ignited My Jewish Purpose

by Romy Miller , 2019 Birthright Israel & Onward Alum

As a third-year law student at the University of Florida, I am constantly facing existential crises. Why am I here? What career path is best for me? What will my future be? But amidst the swirling doubts, one desire shines brightly: the yearning to help my Jewish community and make a difference in our world. Law school seemed like the...

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Israel: Beyond the Headlines, Into My Heart (Thanks to Birthright)
Alums Trip Highlights

February 1, 2024

Israel: Beyond the Headlines, Into My Heart (Thanks to Birthright)

by Sasha Kraver , 2016 Birthright Israel Alum

Birthright was my first time in Israel, and in 2016, it changed my life. Since then, Birthright has become a vital organization in my life. Here's why: I embarked on my Birthright Israel journey when I was 19 years old with two close Jewish friends and 40 new lifelong friends I had not met yet. What I didn’t expect when...

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Wendy & Elliot Koolik Host Woodfield's First Event in Support of Birthright Israel
Events

January 24, 2024

Wendy & Elliot Koolik Host Woodfield's First Event in Support of Birthright Israel

by Birthright Israel Foundation

On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Wendy & Elliot Koolik generously hosted Woodfield Country Club's first event in support of Birthright Israel Foundation. The Kooliks, deeply connected to the cause, have seen two out of their three children embark on Birthright Israel's classic 10-day journey. Their youngest son, Justin, not only participated in the program but also secured a coveted spot...

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From Track Star to Skeleton Slider: Birthright Alum Jared Firestone's Olympic Dream for Team Israel
Alums

January 12, 2024

From Track Star to Skeleton Slider: Birthright Alum Jared Firestone's Olympic Dream for Team Israel

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Jared Firestone, a 33-year-old former track athlete from Miami Beach, has traded his running shoes for a skeleton sled on a remarkable journey toward the 2026 Olympics. His passion for representing Israel ignited in his youth and rekindled by a Birthright Israel trip, now takes him down exhilarating and treacherous ice tracks head-first at 80 miles per hour! .embed-container {...

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