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Birthright Israel Foundation believes that the experience of a trip to Israel is a building block of Jewish identity, and that by providing that gift to young Jews, it can strengthen bonds with the land and people of Israel and solidarity with Jewish communities worldwide.
The idea of providing the gift of a trip to Israel was initially endorsed by the philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, who shared the belief that it was the birthright of all young Jews to be able to visit their ancestral homeland.
Since its inception in December 1999, Birthright Israel has sent over 500,000 Jewish young adults to Israel. They come from 66 countries, all 50 U.S. States and Canadian provinces, and from nearly 1,000 North American colleges and universities.
The gift of a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to the generous support from many sources, including parents of trip participants, alumni of the program, the program’s founders and other philanthropists, the State of Israel, the Jewish Federation system and Keren Hayesod, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and thousands of individuals donors from around the world who believe in its mission.
“Taglit” means “discovery” in Hebrew. And that, in a word, is the goal of the trip – a discovery of Israel and its people, discovery of one’s own personal connection to Jewish values and tradition, and discovery of the ways in which one can be a part of the larger Jewish community. |
