1. +
By Clara Casey
J2001 - 03
Birthright Israel:
lack of funding
keeping many eligible
applicants from a “life-
changing” trip

2. +
Birthright Israel
Began in 2000
Purpose: to send Jewish young
adults, ages 18-26, to Israel for
a 10-day experience of a
lifetime free of charge.

3. +
Alumni call birthright
“life-changing.”
Alumni who described the trip as a life-
changing experience
Very much
Somewhat
A little
Not at all
45%
28%
16%
11%
Generation Birthright Israel, Saxe
45%
28%
16%
11%

4. +
“Meeting the soldiers that fight for our
homeland day in and day out made me
appreciate everything I have, including my
religion, on a deeper level. The trip
changed my life in unexplainable ways.”
- Ariella Hecht, Birthright Alumni, Summer 2010
Participants perception of how
much closer the trip made them
feel to Israel
Very much
Somewhat
A little
Not at all
72%
18%
7% 3%
72%
18%
7%
3%
Generation Birthright Israel, Saxe

5. +
Influential supporters
of birthright
“Birthright is life changing, huge, and
motivating," he said. "It increases the
likelihood of a connection to Israel, the
Jewish people, and Jewish continuity.”
- David Sherman, chairman of
the board for the Jewish United
Fund of Metropolitan Chicago

6. + Application numbers
are at a high.
38,000
Applicants
10,400
Accepted
Summer 2010
•73% of applicants
were waitlisted
because of a “lack
of funding.”
– Irit Gross, Birthright Israel
Foundation
Generation Birthright Israel, Saxe

7. + Lack of funding
“My understanding is that one of the major funders is still a major
funder, but not at the level that he was last year.”
- Sherman
Many devoted to birthright seem optimistic.
How will birthright sustain funding?
With devoted donors and The Foundation, the fundraising branch of birthright.

8. + The Foundation
The fundraising branch of birthright
Currently working on a 5 year plan to get more funds.
Adelson/New Founders Challenge Grant
Every dollar a person donates to the foundation will be matched.

9. + Sample itinerary
includes:
 Tel Aviv
 Jaffa
 Jerusalem
 Haifa
 Tzfat
 Caesarea
 Nahal Oren
 Golan Heights
 Rabin Square
 Independence Hall
 Western Wall
 Old city of Jerusalem
 Tel Dan Reserve
 Jordan River
 Bedouin village
 Masada
 The Dead Sea
 Yad Vashem
 Mt. Hertzl

10. +
Dancing after the arrival, summer
2010
On the bus going to Jaffa, summer
2010

11. +
Participants on a beach in Tel Aviv,
summer 2010
At the top of Mt. Sinai, summer 2010

12. +
Meeting Israeli
soldiers
Americans and Israelis get a different perspective of each other.
“One of my favorite parts of Birthright was getting
to know the soldiers. It made me care a lot more
about what is going on in the war in Israel.”
- Hecht

13. +
The soldiers are
affected too.
“Birthright changed me because now I
appreciate serving in the army even
more than I did before. I know that I
am doing the right thing. I also got to
see what another culture is like.”
- Adi Stolero, Israeli soldier

14. +
Breaks stereotypes
of Americans
“I was expecting to meet young people that were
shallow. I quickly found myself proven wrong and
was pleasantly surprised to find that almost
everyone was interested in how life is here, and
how they can help the cause in Israel.”
- Orr Shilon, Israeli soldier

15. +
More Knowledge of
Current Events
50% of
alumni were “more
likely to feel ‘very
confident’ of their
ability to explain the
current situation in
Israel.”
•Become more knowledgeable of current
events
•Form connections with people involved
•Form a connection with Israel
Those who go on birthright are likely to:
Generation Birthright Israel, Saxe

16. +
Connection to Israel is
stronger
Sense of Connection to Israel after birthright
Very much
Somewhat
A little
Not at all
58%
29%
10%
2%
Generation Birthright Israel, Saxe

17. +
How can people
help?
•Alumni fundraising councils
•Donate the $250 deposit
that is required to go on
birthright
•Donate online
•Volunteer
$250 is
enough to
host one
person for
one day in
Israel.

18. +
People are hoping for
birthright to continue
to prosper
“I want my kids to be able to
experience what I did, and be
able to say, ‘I went on Birthright,
and it changed my life,’ just like it
changed mine.”
- Hecht

19. +
"Birthright Israel merits
our support for the
next ten decades."
- Benjamin Netanyahu , Israeli Prime
Minister, 2010

20. +
Birthright Participants with the soldiers on their last day, Summer 2010

21. + Sources
 Saxe, Leonard, Benjamin Phillips, Theodore Sasson, Shahar
Hecht, Michelle Shain, Graham Wright, and Charles Kadushin.
Generation Birthright Israel: The Impact of an Israel Experience on
Jewish Identity and Choices. Brandeis University: Maurice and
Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Oct. 2009.
Web. Sept. 2010.
 Ariella Hecht (State University at Albany Junior, Birthright Alum) –
914-316-6906
 David Sherman (Jewish United Fund (JUF) Chairman of the
Board) – 312-735-4470
 Irit Gross (Senior Development Associate, Alumni & Young
Leadership Campaign Birthright Israel Foundation) – 212-419-
2870
 Orr Shilon – 21-year-old Israeli soldier
 Adi Stolero – Israeli soldier