The first words said to me upon arriving in Israel were “Welcome Home.” It is amazing how meaningful two words can be and how much they resonated through the whole trip. I have been on more trips than I can count. I have a yearning and passion for travel and each place I go. Read More
When you grow up in a Jewish Community, go to Jewish Day School, and have a grandfather who is a prominent Rabbi in the Upper East Side of Manhattan the last thing you expect is for a short 10-day trip to totally shift your Jewish identity. When going on the Birthright trip was presented to me, I thought it would be fun; I would be going with my best friends, my sorority sisters. Read More
In the state of Maine, Judaism is uncommon. To illustrate this, imagine everyone’s eyes in your class directed at you every time your grade school teacher would mention the Jewish religion. I did appreciate the attention but was sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am for real “Outcast”. This isolation from growing up in Portland, Maine’s public school system only augmented further after my father’s stroke. Read More
In a little over 18 years thousands and thousands of young Jewish adults from San Francisco to San Diego, California have experienced the once-in-a-lifetime educational trip of Birthright Israel. Many visit Israel for the first time and feel the warmth of community by interacting with Israelis, but most of all they gain a deeper sense of their Jewish identity that lasts forever. Read More
Growing up, you’d hear so many stories in Hebrew or Sunday school about how amazing Israel is. But, it is only once you actually travel there does everything come together, and you feel the connection you have always wanted to feel. This is exactly what happened to me when I traveled to Israel in June 2018 with Birthright Israel. Read More
In this week’s edition of What Alumni Are Saying we’re hearing from participants from New Jersey. Since Birthright Israel’s inception, 72,305 young Jewish adults from New Jersey have received this life-changing gift. Do you know how many buses participants from New Jersey would fill? You guessed it, 1,807 buses! So, if you’re ready let’s see what participants from New Jersey said about their Birthright Israel trip. Read More
