Some 13,500 Jewish young people are expected to visit Israel this summer as part of Birthright Israel, the largest educational-tourism organization in the world, Birthright Israel announced on Monday.
The enthusiastic participants, mostly from the United States and Canada, will be visiting from mid-May until September.
All Birthright Israel trips and programs will operate under strict safety and security standards amid the ongoing war with Hamas and escalating tensions with Hezbollah on the northern border.
“In light of the activities on college campuses, it is imperative, now more than ever, for Jewish students to have a strong sense of community through Birthright,” says Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark.
“Birthright Israel is committed to providing participants with a safe and a meaningful experience. In light of the recent escalation on college campuses, in which Jewish students are being threatened daily, it is imperative, now more than ever, for young Jews – and especially Jewish students – to have a strong sense of community through Birthright programs,” said Mark.
“We want them to visit the must-see sites, engage in open dialogues about the global surge in anti-Semitism within a secure environment, interact with Israelis and witness firsthand our society’s resilience amidst adversity, and having come to Israel with questions, they will leave with a deeper understanding.”
Birthright Israel participants will “return to their communities more educated and connected to Israel, more involved in Jewish life, prouder of who they are as Jews, now part of a new supporting community of like-minded peers,” Mark added.
Addressing the current conflict and its impact on Israel, each group will participate in civic volunteering, meet with a grassroots organization that was created to address local needs and will hear first-hand testimonies from October 7 survivors.
Who will be exploring Israel and what will they be getting up to?
Some 9,000 of the participants will be joining a 10-day program and a further 3000 will spend the summer volunteering through the Birthright Israel Onward Volunteer Program.
An additional 1,400 participants will join Onward internships and fellowships; and 64 in the prestigious Birthright Israel Excel fellowship program.
Each program employs a framework with the common goals for the participants to experience Israel to the fullest, and return to their home countries with a stronger connection to the Jewish state.
3,000 Israeli peers will be participating across all Birthright Israel programs to foster relationships with their Diaspora counterparts. The conversations shared by the Israeli and Diaspora youths will promote group connectedness, a sense of community and shared destiny, according to Birthright Israel.
Veronica Benarroch, a 19-year-old college student from Aventura, Florida, is one Birthright Israel participant who will arrive in Israel later this month. She said: “Being a college student post 10/7 has showed me the importance of educating myself and those around me about Israel. I want to go on Birthright Israel because I really want to connect more to my Jewish heritage, to other Jewish students and to Israel.
I’ve never been to Israel, yet it’s been a big part of my identity and Judaism. I would love to experience it. I am also choosing to do an Onward internship because it gives me an opportunity to go abroad while connecting to my Judaism.”
Corey Silberglid, a 20-year-old college student from Wilmington, Delaware, said: “I want to be surrounded by people like me on this trip. In a time like this, it is hard to see that there is a community out there that supports our cause, and that is exactly what Israel is. When you step foot in Israel, you are surrounded by Jews, you are surrounded by Zionists and people who understand the life we are living right now.
We are all empathetic and there for each other. I am looking forward to wrapping arms around all my Jewish brothers and sisters and to singing and praying at the Western Wall for peace to come.”