Letter From Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

Never in my wildest dreams could I ever have imagined that I would have the honor or desire to serve on the Board of the Birthright Israel Foundation, let alone be its Chairman for the past five years. As a child, I hated Sunday school and played hooky as often as I could get away with it. After my Bar Mitzvah, I was certain that my Jewish journey was complete. There was no Birthright Israel and even if there had been, I am not sure I would have had any interest in visiting our incredible homeland. If not for my wife, Denise, and our two children, I probably would not be what I am today: a proud Jew and a proud supporter of Israel.

When our family traveled to Israel for the first time in 2009 for our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, I can say with 100% certainty that “it changed my life.” There is no other way to describe it. I found a new sense of purpose and connection to my heritage and I quickly concluded that I wanted to dedicate my time and philanthropic support to fostering Jewish generational continuity and a love for Israel. In 2011, my wife and I attended our first Birthright Israel Foundation event where we heard a presentation from Sheldon (z’l) and Miriam Adelson about the magic of Birthright Israel and the incredible impact it has on participants. A light immediately went off in my head: If Israel could so profoundly impact my life, imagine what Birthright Israel could do at a scale. From that moment on I knew that I had to be a part of this amazing organization. I was asked to join the Foundation Board of Directors in 2014 and in December of 2016 I was elected Chairman of the Board.

Over these last five years, I have seen this organization accomplish so much and grow to new heights and I could not be more proud. Birthright Israel is a strategic asset for the Jewish people and, with the partnership of our President and CEO, Izzy Tapoohi, we re-imagined the structure and operations of the Foundation. We set out to increase our fundraising efforts to grow the Birthright Israel program and we had tremendous success! Our annual campaigns grew substantially as did the number of participants to whom we were able to provide this remarkable gift. Between our galas, local leadership councils and our missions to Israel, we have built an incredible community of donors, supporters and partners. I am grateful to each one of these individuals and organizations, all of whom serve as an inspiration to me and a reminder of how far we have come.

While the last two years of my term have involved navigating a global pandemic and the suspension and re-launch of our program, I am still as amazed by Birthright Israel as I was a decade ago. Most of all, I am still hopeful for all that is to come. Birthright Israel delivers an experience that makes one proud to be Jewish and cultivates a deep love for the people, culture and land of Israel. For most, it is a game changer. They, like me, can say: “it changed my life.”

So, while my term as Chairman may be ending, Denise and my commitment and dedication to this organization and its mission will remain a top priority. I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our Board of Directors, Izzy, the Foundation staff, Taglit’s CEO, Gidi Mark, and our colleagues in Israel, for their friendship and all they have done and will continue to do for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

I have no doubt in my mind that Birthright Israel, the brainchild of Michael Steinhardt and my dear friend, Charles Bronfman, was, is and will continue to be the most important and impactful program in the Jewish world.

I look forward to passing the torch to our next Chairman, Phil de Toledo, and his leadership team. I know we will be in very good hands.

I hope to see many of you at our Annual Gala in New York City on May 17th, 2022 as we honor our co-founder, Charles

Thank you for your commitment and support. May we go from strength to strength.

Warmly, Bronfman.

THOMAS D. STERN

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD