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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Israel News Birthright Paves Path to BDS for Some Participants
Sam Sussman’s tour of Masada started in a pretty standard way. It happened three years ago as part of the Taglit-Birthright program, which offers young Jews free 10-day trips to Israel. At Masada, 50 American students were on hand. Sussman, a 24-year-old New Yorker, climbed to the top of the plateau and expected the requisite…
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Opinion Why Birthright Next Was Doomed From the Start
Well, I hate to say I told you so. The news that Birthright Next is apparently winding down – its leadership is leaving, its flagship program is shutting down — has come as a surprise to many. But not to those who have followed the program closely, and watched its revolving door of talented staff…
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Israel News Is Birthright NEXT Shutting Down?
Birthright Israel’s alumni division faces an uncertain future following the departure of its top two executives and the discontinuation of its flagship Sabbath meals program. Birthright Israel NEXT has entered a six-month “interim stage” as a task force weighs whether it will continue, Birthright Israel Foundation’s chief operating officer, Jennifer Goldstone, acknowledged in an interview…
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Opinion Why We Need Birthright in Reverse
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to accept an invitation to speak before the U.S. Congress about Iran has ignited a rancorous debate within the American Jewish community. Some argue that the speech will alienate Democrats and undermine bipartisan support for Israel. Others say that a potential U.S. deal with Iran leaving the mullahs’ nuclear capacity intact…
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Opinion Start Birthright With Younger Teens
Taglit-Birthright Israel is a truly remarkable invention of contemporary Jewry. The offer of a cost-free 10-day trip to Israel — conceived of as the “birthright” of every Jewish young person — has brought hundreds of thousands of college-aged Jews to Israel. Research by Len Saxe and his colleagues at Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern…
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Fast Forward Birthright Israel NEXT Winds Down Shabbat Subsidies
After 20,000 dinners, the alumni network for Taglit-Birthright Israel, the program that takes young Jews on free identity tours to Israel, is turning out the lights on its subsidized holiday dinner program. Launched in 2008 by Birthright Israel NEXT, the holiday observance initiative paid Birthright alumni to host friends for Sabbath, Passover and High Holiday…
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Israel News Birthright Alumni Program Ends Subsidized Shabbat
Birthright NEXT is ending its subsidized Shabbat meal program for Birthright alumni, the group announced in an email to constituents on December 4. NEXT will also end two similar programs that help pay for Passover seders and High Holiday dinners. The group said that it had helped fund 21,800 events through the three programs since…
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Fast Forward Like Birthright for Jewish Moms?
(JTA) — On the surface, the tour looked much like a standard Birthright Israel trip: Participants celebrated Shabbat in Jerusalem’s Old City, swam in the Dead Sea and ascended the ancient mountain fortress at Masada. The trip was mostly free and organizers were prepared with follow-up programming after the participants returned home. But the nearly…
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