Birthright announced it will resume its free, 10-day trips to Israel this coming January. Birthright expects 350 people, roughly 80% of them from the United States, to visit Israel by the end of the month. It anticipates hundreds of more people to participate in March as they steadily bring back their programing to normalcy.
“Birthright Israel’s upcoming trips will operate under strict safety and security standards set by the Israel Defense Forces’s Homefront Command,” the organization stated. “Additionally, all Birthright groups will undergo a pre-trip orientation,” including “cover adjustments to the schedule, and to safety and security parameters.”
Gidi Mark, the CEO of Birthright Israel, emphasized the program’s dual focus on ensuring safety and delivering a profound and enriching experience. The upcoming trips will not only explore iconic Israeli landmarks but also provide insights into significant recent events and their impact on both Israeli society and the global Jewish community. Birthright Israel’s mission extends beyond the trips, aiming to strengthen Jewish identity and create lasting bonds with Israel.
Since the program’s first trip in 1999, more than 800,000 young Jews from 68 countries in the Jewish diaspora have participated in Birthright Israel. It is the largest educational tourism organization in the world.
Participation in Birthright Israel has been called a rite of passage for young Jews. Pew Research estimated that by 2020, around 20% of American Jews ages 18–46 had participated in Birthright. Birthright has been called the most influential organization in relations between Israel and the Jewish diaspora.
To participate, individuals must have at least one parent of recognized Jewish descent or who have converted to Judaism through a recognized Jewish movement, and who do not actively practice another religion. They must also be between the ages of 18 and 26, have completed high school, have never traveled to Israel on a peer educational trip or study program after the age of 18, and have not lived in Israel for more than 3 months after the age of 12.
The cost for each participant, approximately $4,500 as of 2020, is covered by a variety of funding sources. According to Birthright Israel, 67% of funding comes from individual donors, 27% from the Israeli government, 3% from Jewish federations, and 3% from the Jewish Agency.
The program’s largest individual donors have been Sheldon Adelson and Miriam Adelson, who had given more than $250 million to Birthright Israel by 2015. Other major donors include prominent philanthropists Charles Bronfman, Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Daniel Och, Marlene Post, Lynn Schusterman, and Michael Steinhardt.
With the ongoing war and much of Israel continuing to try and get back to normalcy, this has been a welcome decision to Israel.
