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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Israel News Birthright Scraps Trip By Uganda Jews After African Convert Is Deported
Plans to bring a first-ever group of Ugandan Jews to Israel on a Birthright trip are in jeopardy following the recent deportation of a member of their community. The group of 40 Ugandans had been scheduled to arrive in Israel in late May on the free 10-day trip available to young Jewish adults from around…
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Fast Forward Groups Pledge $2 Million Toward Strengthening Young Adults’ Jewish Identity
(JTA) — Two international Jewish groups each pledged $1 million toward, respectively, helping Russian-speakers visit Israel in Taglit-Birthright trips, and supporting innovative projects that strengthen Jewish identity. The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, or EAJC, announced its donation toward the Taglit-related goal Thursday. The Olami Foundation announced its fund, called the “The Innovation Incubator,” last week. The…
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Community Has Birthright Been Successful?
Launched in 1999, Birthright Israel was a “disruptive innovation” designed to arrest the assimilation of the next generation of Diaspora Jews by seeking to universalize an Israel educational experience. The program had many skeptics who, though committed to Jewish education focused on children and teenagers, believed that Birthright was too brief, too superficial, and too…
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Life How Birthright Fixed My Jewish Imposter Syndrome
The El Al security officer’s dark gaze bored into mine, then flicked over the middle name on my passport. “Shay. That’s Arabic, isn’t it?” “No, it’s Irish.” I was being questioned for my Birthright boarding pass for my first trip to Israel and it wasn’t going well. The rapid-fire inquiries left me reeling: Was I…
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Fast Forward More Than 100 Protest Birthright HQ, Call For Jewish Boycott
More than 100 people protested outside Birthright Israel’s New York headquarters Sunday as part of a campaign calling on Jewish young adults to boycott the free trips to Israel that Birthright provides. The event, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, is part of that organization’s #ReturntheBirthright campaign, which includes a pledge to refrain from the…
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Opinion No, The Orthodox Aren’t Stealing Birthright. They’re Attracting Young People
Last week, Haaretz ran an explosive story. “Orthodox trip operators are taking over Birthright Israel Programs” proclaimed the headline. The article examined Birthright’s recent decision to drop the Reform Movement “as a certified trip provider,” attributing this “split” between Birthright and the Reform movement to the “aggressive” and often misleading “marketing” of Orthodox trip providers…
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Fast Forward Why Birthright Is Getting More Orthodox
Participants on Birthright Israel, the popular free Israel trip program, are increasingly turning to programs run by Orthodox groups, Haaretz reported Sunday. According to Birthright figures, Orthodox Jews comprise less than 5% of participants, but more than 25% of participants go on Orthodox-affiliated trips. Part of this is due to the decline of non-Orthodox trip…
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Opinion Stop Demonizing Birthright — It Has Every Right To Focus On Jews
Imagine a peaceful future 60 years from now with two states side by side, an Israel and a Palestine. The democratic State of Palestine sits on 95% of the West Bank and all of Gaza. It has a Palestinian majority, but there are also Jews living in towns, formerly known as “settlements,” and they constitute…
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