Programs 2023

The Taglit Birthright Israel trip is a life-changing, educational experience, which provides a meaningful, intelligent, and responsible encounter with Israel, its achievements, challenges, innovations and complexities.

In 2023, we welcomed over 23,000 young Jewish adults from 29 nations, guiding them through a transformative ten-day journey that offered intellectual insights and emotional connections. Emerging from the challenges of the COVID era in 2022, we navigated a path to stability, though not without facing the realities of inflation and escalating tourism costs, leading to heightened demand and waitlists for our enriching experiences.

We strive to challenge perceptions, to redefine understandings of Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish world, and to foster profound personal connections with the ideas and values intrinsic to Jewish identity and peoplehood. Feedback from our participants remained consistently exceptional, a testament to the depth of impact our programs continue to offer. Moreover, we took strides toward sustainability with the inception of “Greening Birthright Israel,” aligning with our broader commitment to environmental stewardship.

In the wake of the tragic events of October 7, we postponed our November and December trips, taking the time to recalibrate our educational and operational frameworks. Upon resuming our journeys in January, we remained vigilant in assessing outcomes, finding that the experience remained profoundly meaningful for our participants.

Accessibility and Inclusion Trips Leaving no one behind

Taglit Birthright Israel believes that every eligible young Jewish adult should be able to travel to Israel to experience his or her birthright. Guided by Jewish values, Birthright Israel aims to be inclusive of all individuals with disabilities, special requirements, limitations or challenges. As such, our efforts to incorporate members with special needs within our regular programs, are supplemented by a number of trips specifically designed for those with physical, developmental and other special needs.

In 2023, Taglit Birthright Israel organized 6 accessibility trips from the USA and an additional group from Chile, enabling these young Jewish adults to experience Israel in an educational framework, just like their peers. Participants engaged in the typical Birthright Israel activities, as well as special experiences that were adapted to their unique needs. The organization prides itself on its efforts to ensure that no individual will be left behind.

Ukraine Groups

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 profoundly impacted our travel initiatives, leading to a significant reduction in available flights from the FSU and a decrease in funding for groups originating from this region. Despite these challenges, we remained steadfast in our commitment to include participants from these affected areas, mobilizing substantial resources to facilitate their journey to Israel.

The Jewish community in Ukraine bore the brunt of the conflict’s repercussions, with many individuals forced into refugee status and trapped within the country’s borders due to the suspension of flights and travel restrictions, particularly impacting men.

In January 2023, through the extraordinary generosity of esteemed US donors such as Lynne and Howard Halpern and Andrea and Mike Leven, we achieved a milestone by successfully bringing the first Ukrainian group to Israel since the onset of the war. Collaborating closely with our partners on the ground in Ukraine, we organized transportation to Warsaw and arranged for their onward journey to Israel, facilitated by the gracious support of Dr. Miriam Adelson, who personally flew them on her private jet, warmly greeted them on board. This momentous occasion was met with immense joy by both our participants and staff alike.

Integration of Birthright Israel App

Embracing innovation, we continued our work to seamlessly integrate the Birthright Israel app into our activities, before, during and after the trips. This dynamic tool enhanced our participants’ experience by providing them with opportunities to introduce themselves, connect with peers, and navigate their journey with ease through a detailed and up to date itinerary, packing lists, how-to guides and more.

Refocusing Taglit Birthright Israel for 2024: Embracing Change and Growth

The events of October 7 have reshaped our perspective, both in Israel and among Jewish communities worldwide. As we chart our course into 2024, Birthright Israel is evolving to meet this new reality head-on.

Our upcoming trips will embody this evolution through a series of carefully curated experiences:

• Engaging in meaningful volunteering activities to foster a sense of contribution and community.
• Connecting with Israeli civic organizations that have played pivotal roles in responding to the October 7 crisis, providing insight and inspiration.
• Facilitating testimony sessions, providing participants with firsthand narratives that illuminate the challenges and triumphs of the Jewish experience.
• Initiating “Bring Them Home” initiatives, fostering connections to heritage and homeland.
• Hosting discussions on contemporary Jewish identity, exploring what it means to be Jewish in today’s world.

To execute these enhancements, we are investing in comprehensive training for our Trip Organizers (TOs) and educational staff, equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge. This includes Educator Seminars held in Israel, alongside ongoing training sessions for Tour Educators (TEs) throughout the winter and spring, all in preparation for Summer 2024.Simultaneously, we are bolstering our operational capacity to accommodate the increasing number of participants. Ensuring our TOs have the resources, from staff to accommodations, is paramount to delivering exceptional experiences.

Moreover, we are actively exploring opportunities for synergistic Birthright Israel and Onward trips. This includes possibilities for participants to embark on a 7 or 10-day journey to Israel, followed by remote work programs, seamlessly blending exploration with professional growth.

As we step into 2024, Birthright Israel is not just adapting to change; we are embracing it, committed to enriching the lives of tens of thousands of young Jewish adults worldwide while fostering deeper connections to Israel and Jewish heritage.

Disability advocate tours Israel on Segway as part of outdoor-focused Birthright trip

Birthright Israel welcomes first second-generation participant

In 2023, the seamless integration of the Onward product line into the Birthright Israel organizational structure progressed steadily. By the end of the year, most operational units, including marketing, operations, education, IT, finance, and evaluation, had been fully incorporated. Plans were also set in motion for the integration of registration functions in 2024.

Exciting new programs were launched and expanded, such as the immersive Hebrew Program, the ongoing development of the Career Passport remote work framework, and the expanded Mifgash program. Furthermore, groundbreaking initiatives combining elements of the ten-day trip and professional development through Onward were underway until they were temporarily postponed after October 7.

Looking Ahead

Our overarching aim for the Onward product line remains to provide immersive living experiences in Israel to over 5,000 individuals annually. However, in 2024, we anticipate challenges stemming from security concerns and reduced willingness to travel to Israel for resume-building experiences. Nevertheless, there is strong demand for volunteer programs, prompting us to continue offering such opportunities while integrating them with other program offerings throughout the year.

As Israeli society embarks on rebuilding efforts, particularly in border areas, we are committed to innovating new ways for young Jews worldwide to actively participate in these endeavors. Our goal for 2024 is to engage 3,800 participants, a significant increase from our original target of 3,350.

In addition to numerical growth, our plans for 2024 include hosting the inaugural Sullam Residency cohort, enhancing the 2023 Hebrew immersion program, expanding and enriching the extended Mifgash program, offering a broader range of fellowship programs with a focus on Russian-speaking populations, and integrating key aspects of Greening Birthright Israel within Onward. This will involve initiatives such as clean energy internships, Shabbat retreats, and volunteer and professional development opportunities in the environmental sector.

Empowering Future Jewish Business Leaders

Birthright Israel Excel (Excel) is a prestigious business-focused program under Birthright Israel, designed for talented and creative young Jewish adults with a passion for business and entrepreneurship. Through a lifelong fellowship, Excel aims to cultivate relationships among current and future business leaders globally, as well as from Israel.

Program Overview

The Program offers competitive internships in leading global companies, mentored by supervisors. The program ensures an equal representation of Israelis and worldwide fellows, fostering a diverse and enriching experience. Participants engage in meaningful interactions with Israel, Israelis, and each other, laying the foundation for lifelong connections.

2023 Achievements

Giving Tuesday Campaign: Excel launched its first formal Giving Tuesday Campaign in Fall 2022, with over 125 global fellows contributing, representing 25% of the global community.

T3 Program: A collaboration with the UAE-IL Tech Zone and Birthright Young Executive Forum saw 40 young business leaders from North America, Israel, and the UAE exchanging cultural and ecosystem knowledge.

2023 Global Summit: Successfully hosted in NYC, featuring keynote speakers, workshops on combating antisemitism, networking, and social gatherings, with over 300 attendees.

Global Expansion: The 2023 cohort comprised participants from 11 countries, including Panama for the first time.

Job Offers: Several fellows received job offers post-program or extended internships with their companies.

Community Communications: Launched a robust WhatsApp community forum and a community intranet, facilitating communication among 750+ participants across specialized groups.

Community Impact Call for Excel Parents: Engaged parents through a virtual session highlighting Excel’s initiatives, resulting in the formation of a Parent Committee.

Excel Consulting Project: Assembled a team of Excel fellows who work for consulting companies to map the future of the Excel community, providing insights and recommendations based on data collected.

October 7th Response: Responded to terror attacks with volunteerism, fundraising, education, and community-building efforts.

2023 Achievements

Our mission in creating the Birthright Israel App is to create a comprehensive digital experience for participants and alumni. By enhancing responsiveness, content relevance, and adding self-service features, we’ve seen significant progress. Currently, the app boasts 40,000 users.

Achievements in 2023 include:

• Integrating Onward participants in the App, adding a benefits area for exclusive discounts in Israel, implementing user-friendly profiles, and enabling event exploration and participation via the app’s content management system.
• The Birthright Israel App now hosts a digital network tailored for alumni. This platform facilitates connections between alumni in their home cities or places they’re visiting, and aims to enhance engagement and foster connections among alumni.
• Our BEYOND monthly newsletter has been consistently reaching 300,000 alums since April, boasting an impressive 50% open rate across various countries.
• Through a strategic partnership with OneTable, we’ve pioneered unique offerings for Birthright Israel alumni. This collaboration includes hosting Shabbat Dinners, with approximately 1,000 alums participating in these events by the end of 2023.

Looking Towards 2024

A full launch of the digital network on App is scheduled for May 2024, with the aim of adding 2,500 alumni to the service by the end of the year. Ongoing improvements to the app will focus on enhancing user engagement, including:

• Introducing self-service features for scheduling pre-trip interviews and accepting conditional offers.
• Enriching the trip experience by integrating educational content.
• Personalizing itinerary views for Onward participants, including individual accommodation details.

Plans also include partnering with two additional worldwide organizations to provide alumni with unique and engaging opportunities to further their Jewish journey