This is 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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Opinion My Advice for Birthright? More Palestinians
Taglit-Birthright Israel Birthright’s worried. Registrations are dwindling and young Jews are growing disinterested in the free 10-day trip to Israel. Over a period of three years, applications have dropped more than 17%. To compensate for the downturn, the group has started to ease its “Jewish” definition and dig into its years-old wait lists. It’s also…
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Music Birthright Eases ‘Jewish’ Definition as Applications for Free Israel Trip Dip
(Haaretz) — Concerned about declining interest in its free 10-day trips to Israel, Taglit-Birthright has hired a marketing agency to seek out new participants, targeting college students with little or no connection to the Jewish community. According to figures obtained by Haaretz, registration among North American Jews for Birthright’s summer trips dropped by more than…
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Fast Forward Birthright Trains 200 Educators To Lead Trips
Taglit-Birthright Israel will train Jewish educators from across the United States as Israel trip leaders. The program will train 200 trip leaders each year through a partnership with the iCenter, a North American organization dedicated to Israel education. The application deadline for the first cohort of Taglit Fellows is May 15. The program includes a…
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Fast Forward Birthright Teens Can Stay 6 Months Without ‘Jewish’ Test
Participants in programs that bring young Diaspora Jews to visit Israel should be allowed to extend their stay without proving they are Jewish enough to make aliyah, a Knesset committee recommended. The Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee agreed unanimously on Tuesday that the Interior Ministry should allow participants in programs such as MASA and…
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Opinion Birthright’s Second-Time Shift
Here’s the current mission statement: “The gift of a trip to Israel from Taglit-Birthright Israel is designed to offer a first-time educational peer experience.” Not any more. The international leadership group in charge of Birthright has decided that the free, 10-day program can be a second-time educational experience, too. This is a technical change with…
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Opinion Confessions of a Disengaged Young Jew
I don’t have strong opinions about Israel. I can’t say whether the country’s risks justify the force it often employs, nor can I say whether its greatest threats come from within or without. It’s strange to begin a column by revealing one’s indifference on a topic. I know. Though what interests me isn’t what one…
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Fast Forward Birthright Allows ‘Second-Timers’ To Join Israel Trips
Jewish young adults who previously visited Israel on a high school program will still be eligible for Birthright. The Taglit-Birthright Israel steering committee approved the expansion of the free 10-day trip to Israel at a meeting on Tuesday, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday. The committee also voted to increase funding to attract more…
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Israel News Jewish Enough for Birthright — But Not for Israel
(Haaretz) — They grew up believing they were Jewish. They signed up for programs in Israel hoping to strengthen their Jewish identity. They came, saw, fell in love and decided to stay. And then, just when they were about to accept their first job offer, they hit a wall. You want a work permit? Prove…
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