ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

The first Birthright trip to Israel following the COVID-19 pandemic will resume in May.

The last trip took place on March 13, 2020, just before Israel's first nationwide lockdown.

This trip, as well as those scheduled for the near future, will only be available to eligible individuals between the ages of 18-32 from the US who have received a coronavirus vaccine or have recovered from the virus.

Participants will be required to present a negative PCR test before boarding the flight to Israel and to take an antibody test upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport. 

Dozens of trips are scheduled for May and June, and hundreds more are expected to take place between July and October. Unlike before the pandemic, each group will be restricted to 20 participants.

The resumption of Birthright's education trips in Israel was made possible due to Israel's successful vaccination campaign, which has already seen more than 55% of the population fully vaccinated.

“Two values we’ve always prioritized are our impeccable safety record and our commitment to innovation in ways that meet the needs of our participants and the demands of our changing world,” said Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark. “With the input of Israel’s Health Ministry, we’re confident that we’ve developed the best plan to safely and efficiently resume our trips, which play such a critical part in strengthening the Jewish identity of hundreds of thousands of young people around the world."
Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark
Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark (Credit: Erez Uzir)
Charles Bronfman, co-founder of Birthright Israel, noted that “when the first Birthright Israel groups took off in December of 1999, we could never have imagined all of the incredible milestones we would hit in just 20 years.
“The pandemic has been heartbreaking for all of us. Needless to say, the pause in our program was so sad, but I’m thrilled to know that our participants will soon be back in Israel. The magic continues," he said.
According to a recent study carried out by Leonard Saxe, PhD, who serves as director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, enthusiasm for going on Birthright trips among young Jewish Americans remained high throughout the pandemic, despite nearly all trips being canceled. The survey found that attending a Birthright Israel trip was a higher priority for participants than traveling internationally to other destinations and domestically.
A Birthright group visits the Masada National Park in southern Israel before the pandemic
A Birthright group visits the Masada National Park in southern Israel before the pandemic (Credit: Erez Uzir)

“We open the next chapter of Birthright Israel’s story ready to continue carrying out the mission that our founders laid before us -- to give every young Jewish adult around the world the opportunity to visit Israel on an educational trip,” said Izzy Tapoohi, president and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation.

The return of Birthright Israel programming marks the end of the only cancellations in the organization’s 20-year history. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, it had provided trips for more than 750,000 young Jewish Adults from 68 countries.