Taglit-Birthright Israel: One Way of Connecting American Jews to Israel

The need for American Jews to feel connected to Israel is essential for Israel's existence and survival. From what I know, huge private donations to Israel come from American Jews. These donations are essential for allowing advocacy and education programs in Israel for Americans. Taglit-Birthright Israel, for example, creates a connection between diaspora Jews (Jews living outside of Israel) and the Jewish Homeland, Israel.

On the Birthright about us page it states "Taglit-Birthright Israel's founders created this program to send thousands of young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift in order to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people."

This program is a 10 day, all expenses paid, group trip to Israel. It is for people ages 18-26 who are of Jewish decent - meaning people don't need to be practicing or even raised Jewish. It is an educational tour of the country - stopping at all of the historical, religious, and cultural sites. On this trip, conquering the whole country in just 10 days, the tour bus becomes a second home and your best friend. To view a quick overview of what participants do on the trip, please see a video called "Birthright Israel 10 Days in 10 Seconds" from Sachlav, the organizer I went through for my Birthright trip in January 2009.

For a portion of the trip, Israeli soldiers are assigned to travel with the group. This is a really significant experience because guys aged 18-21 and girls 18-20 are required to serve in the army. It is really unique to learn about their experience first-hand because they are around the age of the participants and are leading a totally different life than American college students. Also, this allows participants to create permanent bonds with people living in Israel. With today's constant communication through social media it is easy to maintain friendships with people in other countries.

I get somewhat frustrated because we have such a wonderful opportunity to go on this amazing trip, yet so many people don't take advantage of it. I don't understand why because: it is a FREE trip, it is an amazing experience to travel and learn about the birthplace of our modern world religions, a place of rich history and culture - yet I understand most people in this age bracket probably don't care about history. However, there is more to see and experience such as beautiful beaches, fun nightlife, and a lot of outdoor activities like hiking, water-sports, and exploring other natural wonders in the diverse topography of the country. I have heard too many people saying "I don't know if I want to go," "I am not sure if it is safe," and "Maybe next year I'll sign up." NOW is the time, while we are still within the required age restrictions and while there are still funds for trips to continue.
From a public relations perspective, the concept is ingenious. The promotion and education of the program is huge. The stewardship and continued communication after one attends this trip is immense. I am constantly receiving emails updating me about the program, informing me of alumni events, and other programs in Israel.

Ultimately, this trip really changed my life and is what inspired me to study at Tel Aviv University for my spring 2010 semester. I do my best to encourage all of my friends and family to sign-up for this trip and to teach them that it is a truly amazing gift that we are privileged to be able to participate in and that it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.