History of Jewish Birthright

Jewish Birthright is a free, 10 day trip for Jews to visit The Holy Land of Israel.

It all came about when two philanthropists named: Michael Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman started to see more Jews drift away from their roots.

They noticed that when their kids would travel to Israel, they felt far more excited about being Jewish.

Then it began to raise the question:

Would bringing more Jewish kids to Israel have the same positive impact about being Jewish?

So they partnered up with other leaders and organisations to make this come to life.

And this was the start of Jewish Birthright trips: to make visiting The Holy Land of Israel more accessible to young Jews.

The first Birthright trip was in 1999.

What is Jewish Birthright?

Jewish Birthright is a 10 day trip for young adults to Israel, completely free.

For those based in North America, the 11 hours flight over to Israel itself can be super expensive.

So Birthright allows for more Jews to understand what it really means to be Jewish and the beautiful history that comes with it.

The trip is not dependant on how Religious the Jew is, as long as they fall into the criteria then they are eligible.

It is important to check the specific criteria for the country you are attending from because it may slightly vary.

Overall the general criteria is:

Young Adult aged between 18-32
At least one Jewish Parent
Haven't attended an organised Israel trip after 18 years old
Not lived in Israel for over 3 months since the age of 12 years old

And if you are eligible, then you reach out to the Jewish Birthright organisation and they will help assist in getting you on the program.

There are different themes of Birthright trips.

As the 18-32 age range is quite broad. Birthright do offer trips for those aged 27-32 too so they can bond together.

What is the Itinerary?

The itinerary will vary on the time of year that you go and also the type of theme you choose to go for.

The common trip involves starting off in Northern Israel and then travel down south.

In the North of Israel there are mountainous areas and depending on the theme of trip you choose, it may feature kayaking, tours of Safed (Tzfat) and other adventures.

Then on the way down south, you will experience really beautiful moments such as:

Visiting The Western Wall in Jerusalem
Visiting Yad Vashem, Holocaust Memorial
Climb to the top of Masada
Swim in the Dead Sea
Visit David Ben Gurion’s Desert Home

And much more!

Why Should You Go?

If you are eligible to go on Jewish Birthright, it is almost selfish to not go!

Needless to say how expensive the trip is and that you have a chance to go for free.

And you have the chance to go with a group of 10-20 people in your age group and make long-lasting friendships.

It really is a no-brainer to experience The Holy Land of Israel

Many people who went on a Jewish Birthright trip ended up making Aliyah to Israel afterwards (move to Israel permanently)

Some people even met their spouse on Jewish Birthright!

It truly is a life changing experience that allows you to understand the rich Jewish history and what a Blessing it is for The Jews to be able to live in Israel.

There you have it!

Honestly, if you can go on Jewish Birthright. Go for it.

It really is one of those decisions where you ask yourself: "what's the worst thing that can happen?"

You are getting a free, 10-day holiday to Israel and have the chance to make life-long friendships and who knows... maybe even meet your future husband/wife !

🙏🙏🙏

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