IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FIFTEEN YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE SINCE BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL WAS FIRST LAUNCHED. It is even harder to imagine the Jewish world today without thinking of Birthright Israel and the enormous impact we have had in shaping the future of the Jewish people by giving every young Jewish adult the gift of a 10-day trip to Israel. This summer we celebrated the arrival of our 500,000th participant — an achievement that none of us could have initially imagined when we first sought to transform this bold idea into a reality. An important milestone such as this puts into perspective just how far we have come over the course of the past 15 years in creating meaningful experiences that are empowering the next generation to be proud young Jews with stronger connections to Israel, to their community and to the Jewish people. This has always been our goal; and will always remain so. With an unwavering sense of purpose and commitment, as well as the devoted support from our donors and partners, we look forward to the next 15 years and beyond. We know there is much more work that we can do, both here and now, and for the future of the Jewish people.
GIDI MARK International CEO Birthright Israel
JOURNEYS • ISSUE 5 • SPECIAL EDITION
