Birthright Israel
Jewish heritage organization / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Taglit-Birthright Israel (Hebrew: תגלית), also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a free ten-day heritage trip to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage between the ages of 18 and 26.[1][2][3] The program is sponsored by the Birthright Israel Foundation, whose donors subsidize participation.
Formation | 1999; 25 years ago (1999) |
---|---|
Purpose | Jewish heritage trip |
Headquarters | United States |
President and CEO | Israel Tapoohi |
Chair, Executive Committee | Philip de Toledo |
Budget | $46.9 million (2011) |
Website | birthrightisrael |
Taglit is the Hebrew word for 'discovery'. During their trip, participants, most of whom are visiting Israel for the first time, are encouraged to discover new meaning in their personal Jewish identity and connection to Jewish history and culture.[4]
Between the program's first trip in 1999 and 2024, more than 850,000[5] young Jews from 68 countries in the Jewish diaspora have participated in Birthright Israel.[6] It is the largest educational tourism organization in the world.[7]
Participation in Birthright Israel has been called a rite of passage for young Jews.[4][8] Pew Research estimated that by 2020, around 20% of American Jews ages 18–46 had participated in Birthright.[9] Birthright has been called the most influential organization in relations between Israel and the Jewish diaspora.[10]