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Birthright Israel Foundation Blog

Jerusalem Wailing Wall sunset
Trip Highlights

December 28, 2020

Embracing Jewish Heritage Across Generations, in Israel and at Home

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Though more and more young Jews these days are conflicted about their heritage and faith, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’’l was optimistic about the future of the Jewish people. “We are super-resilient people,” said the respected spiritual leader. “The more pressure we’ve been under, the stronger we’ve become.” Take Israel, for example. The Jewish State has faced unrelenting threats to...

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Reflections on an Accessible Trip to Israel
Alums Trip Highlights

December 22, 2020

Reflections on an Accessible Trip to Israel

by Blair Webb , Alumna and Jewish Inclusion Fellow

I am a Jewish Inclusion Fellow at RespectAbility, but I’ve always had a complicated relationship with my Jewish identity. I have always enjoyed eating potato latkes at Hanukkah, and appreciated the ritual of reevaluating oneself during the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but I know very little about Judaism, beyond these cultural touchstones. Some of this is because...

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How Birthright Israel Broadens Exposure to Jewish Customs and Traditions
Trip Highlights

December 21, 2020

How Birthright Israel Broadens Exposure to Jewish Customs and Traditions

by Birthright Israel Foundation

There were many years when Judaism was not a priority for Mark and Renee Kaufman’s daughter, Desiree. She had no interest in going to temple, following Jewish customs and traditions, or marrying a Jew. Then Desiree received the gift of a Birthright Israel trip, traveling for free along with a group of her peers. In Israel, she experienced what one...

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Leadership & Supporters

December 17, 2020

An Interview with Supporter Jill Roberts on Her Unconditional Love for Birthright Israel

by Birthright Israel Foundation

How do you decide what organizations your philanthropic dollars will support? For Jill Roberts, Chair of Birthright Israel Foundation's New England Council and Birthright Israel parent, the choice of supporting the program is simple. Jill, like so many of us, wants a world free of hate and antisemitism. She’s a firm believer that the gift of Birthright Israel provides a...

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Why Future Birthright Israel Participant Isabelle Remains Hopeful
Alums Trip Highlights

December 14, 2020

Why Future Birthright Israel Participant Isabelle Remains Hopeful

by Birthright Israel Foundation

As Birthright Israel entered its 20th anniversary year no one could have imagined a global pandemic would change the course of the program for the year. Young Jewish adults worldwide were disappointed as their trips were postponed and communities everywhere went into lockdown. Take future participant, Isabelle Wigon of Boston, MA who wasn’t surprised to learn her June Birthright Israel...

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Traditional Israeli Food and Its Modern American Variations
Food

December 14, 2020

Traditional Israeli Food and Its Modern American Variations

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Rooted in regional and continental influences with a dash of traditional Mizrahi, Sephardic, and Ashkenazi flavors, Israeli cuisine is a collection of ever-evolving delicacies developed by a long-wandering people who are now living in a young and burgeoning nation. Traditional Israeli food isn’t only tied to Jewish holidays like Passover and Shavuot, or relegated to Israeli BBQ. The Israeli culinary...

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15 Ways Birthright Israel Exposes Participants to Life in Israel
Alums Trip Highlights

December 7, 2020

15 Ways Birthright Israel Exposes Participants to Life in Israel

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Birthright Israel participants are typically pretty clueless about life in Israel before their trip. They return from the Middle East with a visceral connection to the Jewish State and these 15 lessons on life in Israel. Life in Israel is modern ... When alumnus Nathan Lightman claimed his birthright, he was surprised to find that the streets of Tel Aviv...

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Alums Leadership & Supporters Trip Highlights

December 3, 2020

The Role Birthright Israel Played in Marina Yudborovsky's Life

by Birthright Israel Foundation

In 2004, a Birthright Israel trip inspired Marina Yudborovsky to reconnect with her Jewish identity, something it has done for 800,000+ young Jews worldwide. Marina, a Soviet Jewish émigré to the US, was then motivated to join the Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) in 2009 to help in its mission to strengthen the Jewish identity of Russian-speaking Jews around the world....

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Why Detroit Natives Andi & Larry Wolfe Support Birthright Israel
Leadership & Supporters

December 1, 2020

Why Detroit Natives Andi & Larry Wolfe Support Birthright Israel

by Birthright Israel Foundation

Birthright Israel Foundation’s donors all have their own special and unique reasons for supporting the program. Many of our supporters grew up only dreaming of visiting Israel. Birthright Israel to them is almost a miracle. For others, giving to Birthright Israel Foundation fulfills their philanthropic priorities in supporting educational experiences for the next generation. Long-time Michigan donors Andi and Larry...

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Alums Trip Highlights

November 29, 2020

Meet Maya Rosen, Birthright Israel Intern at Michigan State University

by Maya Rosen , 2019 Birthright Israel Alumna

When I started as a freshman in 2017 at Michigan State University, I had no idea how big of an impact my Jewish identity would have on my experience. During my sophomore year, I signed up for a May Birthright Israel trip through the MSU Hillel. I had never been to Israel before, and I was eager but nervous. I...

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