BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL INVESTOR REPORT
25 YEARS OF TRANSFORMING JEWISH LIFE
Since 1999, Birthright Israel has ignited Jewish pride and connection for over 900,000 young adults worldwide. What began as a bold experiment is now a rite of passage, launching lifelong engagement with Jewish identity, community, and Israel.
This year, amid the war with Iran, the trauma of October 7th, and rising antisemitism, Birthright Israel has welcomed 28,000 participants. Thanks to your investment, we are advancing Jewish education on a massive scale through the Classic 10-Day Trip, Excel, Onward, and Volunteer.
A HISTORIC EVACUATION
In June, as Iran launched missiles at Israel, 2,800 participants were on the ground. Within hours, we evacuated every group safely by sea and air. Just two weeks after the war ended, we resumed all programs and helped many return to Israel to finish their journeys. We protect our participants without compromise and never waver in our mission to empower the next generation of Jewish leaders.
EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY AND IMPACT
Resilience and Jewish Identity
Each program builds resilience, pride, connection, unity, knowledge, and mutual responsibility.
Core Experiences
Bearing Witness: Visits to October 7th sites and meetings with survivors and hostage families turned headlines into firsthand understanding.
Volunteering: Every group served Israeli communities through hands-on projects.
Sustainability: Participants connected Jewish teachings to care for the environment.
Shared Destiny: Small-group dialogue fostered a sense of purpose and peoplehood.
Staff Excellence
Our trained educators and madrichim meet the complex and evolving needs of today’s Jewish young adults. They lead nuanced discussions, helping participants navigate complexity and return prouder and more grounded in Jewish life.
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION
The Szold Institute in Jerusalem found that 2025 participants showed stronger identity, belonging, and connection to Israel. Encounters with October 7th survivors, volunteer service, and guided reflection were most impactful. Participants reported:
Greater confidence expressing Jewish identity and advocating for Israel.
Improved ability to navigate campus conversations.
Renewed solidarity with the global Jewish people. Ratings were exceptionally high for overall satisfaction, staff excellence, Mifgash (getting to know Israeli peers), reflection opportunities, and group cohesion.
2025 BY THE NUMBERS
15,200 Participants
Classic 10-Day Trip, our flagship trip proven to strengthen Jewish identity
This summer’s cohort came from across the Jewish world. In Israel’s living classroom, they explored identity through dialogue, guided learning, and encounters with Israeli peers—fostering lifelong resilience, pride, and belonging.
10,900 Volunteers
Volunteer, opportunities to serve Israeli communities
Participants helped Israel rebuild— planting gardens, distributing food, aiding displaced families, and clearing debris from rocketdamaged homes. Birthright Israel Volunteer, a joint initiative, a joint initiative with Jewish Federations of North America, has become our fastest-growing program, showing how eager this generation is to serve and stand with Israel.
2,000 Interns
Onward, prestigious internships with top Israeli companies
After the war with Iran, participants resumed internships at top Israeli companies, hospitals, and nonprofits. They returned with stronger resumes, mentors, and networks. Our new Storytellers fellowship brought 44 creatives to Israel to share authentic stories and shift global narratives.
160 Fellows
Excel, an elite fellowship for future leaders in business and tech
Our elite business and technology fellowship grew to 160 fellows, joining a global network of 1,500+ entrepreneurs and innovators. Excel develops leaders who thrive professionally and stand proudly as Jews in every sphere.
BRANDEIS RESEARCH SHOWS REMARKABLE RESULTS
Brandeis University’s Jewish Futures Project confirms that Birthright Israel transforms lives and delivers extraordinary results. Alumni are far more likely to participate in Jewish communal life, support Israel, lead Jewish organizations, and raise Jewish children. Among those who traveled in summer 2024 despite war and antisemitism, impact was profound.
CREATING MEMORIES:
STRENGTHENING CONNECTION:
BUILDING COMMUNITY:
EMPOWERING ADVOCACY:
62% of participants called their trip “one of the best experiences of their lives.”
Connection to Israel rose from 55% before to 71% after the trip.
81% found hearing from Israelis affected by the war “very meaningful,” and 76% were strengthened by traveling with a Jewish peer group.
Participants were 73% more likely than nonparticipants to counter anti-Israel misinformation and 70% more likely to post in support of Israel on social media.
“Connection, Solidarity, and Activism: The Experience of Birthright Israel’s Summer 2024 Cohort,” Brandeis University, May 2025.
STORIES FROM AN UNPRECEDENTED SUMMER
FAMILIES REUNITED
COMPASSION IN ACTION
SONGS OF
This summer, a special group of parents of Lone Soldiers from the U.S., Russia, and Argentina joined Birthright Israel Volunteer. While their children defended Israel, they too contributed to Israel’s strength and resilience. Some of the families hadn’t seen each other in over a year. Thanks to our donors, we were honored to reunite them in a ceremony at an IDF base, a powerful occasion filled with love and pride.
When war broke out, Hadassah Sternfeld was interning through Birthright Israel Onward at Save a Child’s Heart, bringing comfort and joy to children facing major surgery. Evacuated just two weeks into her internship, she was heartbroken to leave—but donor support allowed her to return to Israel and continue her sacred work, offering compassion and healing to children who need it most.
HOPE & INDEPENDENCE
As missiles fell on Tel Aviv, cantor Josh Goldberg picked up a guitar and led his Birthright Israel Volunteer group in song. In a bomb shelter for hours, they sang Israeli folk tunes, American pop, even an impromptu Kabbalat Shabbat, transforming fear into unity. “Singing together is one of the most human ways we can connect,” he said. Josh returned inspired to share that message of resilience with his home congregation.
Alumna and 25th Anniversary Honoree Annie Michaels, who is on the autism spectrum, traveled independently for the first time on a Classic 10-Day Trip. Returning to Israel this year on an Accessibility and Inclusion Volunteer trip, she found new pride and confidence, and now advocates for Birthright Israel and inclusion nationwide, showing that young Jews of all abilities have a role to play in the Jewish future.
LOOKING AHEAD: 25 YEARS AND BEYOND
As we celebrate 25 years of Birthright Israel, we launch our Generations Campaign, a bold goal to bring 200,000 participants to Israel by 2030. We will:
Expand access so that every eligible young Jew can experience Israel firsthand.
Deepen educational excellence to develop confident, values-driven leaders.
Strengthen alumni engagement for lifelong connection and impact.
Mobilize philanthropic investment to sustain Birthright Israel’s legacy.
Our work is far from finished. Thousands of young Jews are still waiting for their chance to experience Israel and claim their place in our story. Your continued partnership will help us meet demand, ignite Jewish pride, and secure a vibrant Jewish future for generations to come.