Welcome to 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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Breaking News 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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Breaking News 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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Opinion Share Birthright Data With All
Taglit-Birthright Israel is considered by many to be the most successful Big Idea in the American Jewish community in recent years, sending hundreds of thousands of young people to Israel on a free, 10-day trip of connection and discovery. But even those who run and fund Birthright acknowledge that, nearly 14 years after its creation,…
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Opinion 4 Things To Do About Pew Survey Findings on #JewishAmerica
The Pew Research Center’s “Portrait of Jewish Americans” has triggered much debate in the Jewish community. Its key findings — that younger Jews are not only less connected to, but are also less interested in, Jewish life — puts in sharp relief the challenge before us. If we go by numbers alone, the non-Orthodox American…
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Breaking News Birthright Trips to Israel Could Double Under Plan
A new Israeli government initiative could effectively double the number of Taglit-Birthright participants traveling to Israel within a few years. The initiative, drawn up in the past year by the Prime Minister’s Office with the assistance of the Jewish Agency and Jewish leaders, will be announced in Jerusalem at a conference scheduled for October. It…
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