Birthright Israel Expects 20K Attendees this Summer
Local supporters created the first-ever women’s event for the international organization earlier this year.
Two large tour busses filled with the first group this summer of Birthright participants from the Hillels of Georgia chapters traveled through Israel earlier this month. The group is part of an ambitious effort to expand the popular program during the summer vacation period. The four-and-a-half-month Birthright session is expected to involve 20,000 young Jewish adults from the United States, Canada and 30 other countries.
For Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, CEO of Georgia’s Hillel program, Birthright is one way of extending the work of building worldwide Jewish community after Oct. 7, 2023.
“I think what is really important, is that while antisemitism isn’t going away, we can keep it at bay. And that’s the importance of allyships, of working together with others, because year one after Oct. 7 was really about survival for everyone, and this past year was it was a year to build upon what we’ve learned.”
This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the program which has brought more than 900,000 young people to experience Israel at no cost to them.
The CEO of Birthright Israel, Gidi Mark, noted that the program has played an increasingly important role in developing support for Israel around the world.
“Now, more than ever, it’s important for young Jews to experience Israel firsthand,” Mark emphasized, “to connect with people, understand the complexity and see the reality beyond the headlines.”
The number of participants in Birthright programs this year is expected to jump by 60 percent over 2024.
Over 30,000 participants are being welcomed in the many programs that Birthright offers, not just for young people but for those well beyond their college years. The organization offers opportunities to engage with life in Israel up to those as old as 50. The organization supports internships with Israel-based companies and institutions, educational fellowships, and volunteer programs in individual communities in the country.
To build local support for the Birthright Israel Foundation, which helps fund these programs, a group of almost 50 Atlanta women created the organization’s first-ever women’s event.
For Michelle Leven, who co-hosted the meeting with Karen Shulman, bringing others together in support of Birthright was personal.
“Watching my son return from Birthright transformed, more connected to his Jewish identity and Israel,” Leven said, “proved just how powerful these programs are. Birthright offers young Jews strength, pride, and belonging when they need it most.”
Among the featured speakers was Felicia Dlugolenski, an Atlanta mother of three, who recently returned from volunteering in Israel as part of the Birthright Israel Volunteer program on Israel’s farmland.
“More than posting about Israel or donating, I wanted to actually go,” Dlugolenski said, “to have my hands in Israel’s soil. What I got back was immeasurable. I felt useful, connected, and proud, not just of what I did, but of being part of something so much bigger. It was incredible.”
The event also featured Ashley Waxman Bakshi, who participated in a Birthright trip for the first time more than 20 years ago. She has since become one of Israel’s leading voices online combatting misinformation about the country and advocating the release of the hostages. She has a following of 850,000 on social media.
Karen Shulman, who like Leven, serves on Birthright’s Atlanta Leadership Council, was impressed by the success of the gathering.
“Bringing together such thoughtful, committed women around a shared mission is inspiring. Birthright Israel changes lives and it’s up to us to ensure that continues.”
A groundbreaking new study by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University reinforced the impact that the Birthright program has had on Jewish survival. The research led by Leonard Sax at the university shows that Birthright participants are more likely to marry Jewish partners and pass on their Jewish traditions.
“We have been surveying those who participated in the program and similar peers who applied but did not go since 2009,” Sax noted. “What we have consistently found is that Birthright’s impact continues after the program ends and even for decades later.”
The new study shows that, compared to their peers who applied to Birthright Israel but never participated, 84 percent of Birthright Israel alumni are raising their children exclusively Jewish, regardless of their spouse’s background.
It’s estimated that it costs more than $5,000 to underwrite the cost of each person’s trip. That adds up to an annual budget of over $200 million, over two-thirds of which are raised by individual donations from around the world and one-thirds from the government of Israel. The Marcus Foundation and its founder, Bernie Marcus, have been among the organization’s largest supporters.
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