Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Taglit-Birthright Israel, a free 10-day trip to Israel for young adults with Jewish heritage.
Birthright
The Latest
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Fast Forward Charles Bronfman Urges Reform To Take Birthright Israel Back From Chabad
Birthright Israel co-founder Charles Bronfman called on the Reform movement to displace Chabad as the largest provider of Birthright trips to Israel. Speaking to a crowd of thousands Wednesday night at the biennial conference of the Union for Reform Judaism, Bronfman noted that 75 percent of participants on Birthright — which provides free, 10-day trips…
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News Is Birthright To Blame for Sexual Harassment on Trip?
Taglit-Birthright Israel sends 200 groups of young adult Jews to Israel each year. This summer alone, the program hosted 30,000 participants, an all-time record. Many of those participants say that Birthright is a life-changing experience. But something went very wrong on a trip in early June, and those involved assert that the organizer’s lax regulation…
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Opinion Why We Need To Subsidize Teen Travel to Israel
Another summer season has passed and parents of high-school-age teens who wanted to give their children an experience of Israel had to dig deep into their pockets and pay the full cost. Programs for teens that range from three to six weeks can cost up to 10,000 dollars for teens coming from the West Coast…
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Fast Forward Birthright Sets Record With 30,000 Summer Trips
Birthright, the free 10-day trip to Israel, has brought a record 30,000 young Jewish people on its trips this summer. The number of summer participants, coming one year after Israel endured a 50-day war last summer, is Birthright’s highest in its 15 years of existence. The participants came from 32 countries on six continents, and…
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Opinion I Don’t Want Birthright Telling Me What To Think About Iran
“Help the State of Israel by contacting your congressman and senator and requesting that they reject this deal and override President Obama’s veto of their decision.” That was a plea sent out on Tuesday to New York-area Birthright alumni by “The Alumni Community.” Is it right for this group to impose the political viewpoint of…
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Fast Forward Birthright Dedicates Memorial to Lone Soldier Max Steinberg
Birthright Israel dedicated a memorial site in northern Israel to Max Steinberg, an American who died fighting for the Jewish state. The site was established at the ancient synagogue in the Arbel nature reserve in the lower Galilee, where a ceremony was held Thursday, the organization said. On hand were the late soldier’s family, soldiers…
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Opinion How Birthright Is Failing the Pro-Israel Cause
“So you’re going to support racist nationalism to get a free trip?” That’s the question a college housemate asked me when I returned from Birthright. She had seen the freshly uploaded photos that decorated my Facebook profile that week: my friends and I slathered in clay at the Dead Sea, riding camels in the Negev,…
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News Calling All Newlyweds — Now You Can Make Birthright Your Honeymoon
(JTA) — Jay and Mikelle sat next to each other on the bus as it ascended the road to Jerusalem. Later the same day they accompanied each other on an emotional trip to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum. The next day they planned to trek up to the desert fortress at Masada and swim together…
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