Birthright Israel: A Must-have Gift from One Generation to the Next
By Elisa Palter
October 7 hit all of us in different ways. Some got involved in local community. Some joined a synagogue. Some spoke out on social media. Others chose to wear a Star of David for the first time. Still others wanted to travel to Israel…to volunteer, to bear witness, to connect with the people or just to immerse themselves in the country.
Many young Canadian Jews immediately thought of Birthright Israel, as so many had friends or family who had participated.
But there is something that I know — as the daughter of the first chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation of Canada and the parent of two Birthright Israel alumni (one of whom met her fiancé on her trip) — that many others do not know, and it’s having a major impact on our ability to get these young people the Israel experience they want and need.
It’s this… Charles Bronfman, who was one of the visionaries behind Birthright Israel, doesn’t pay the bill for the entire program. From the beginning, the premise was that the funding had to be a community-wide effort, a gift from one generation to another. And Birthright Israel is not a program of UJA Federation either so it doesn’t get fully covered by community funds raised by UJA; Federations across Canada collectively contribute only about 10% of the total. It is independently organized by Taglit-Birthright Israel and Canadian funds are raised by Birthright Israel Foundation of Canada.
The cost to send just one Classic experience participant is $6,000 and at its peak, Canada sent 2000+ participants a year. However, due to reduced funding and inflationary pressure on costs, the number of Canadian Birthright Israel participants had to be drastically reduced – in 2023, budgets only enabled 1,200 to go, and many others had to be turned away. 2024 looks even worse, with spots for only 1000. Once they are turned away, many never re-apply.
One thing we know about Birthright Israel is that those who participate have a stronger connection to their heritage, a new or renewed sense of pride, and a higher likelihood of using their voices in support of Israel. With increasing antisemitism on campuses and in communities, our Jewish young adults need the knowledge, confidence, and tools to advocate for Israel and their identity.
I’m so happy that my daughters had the experience. But I now have two grandkids and I want them to have it too. If we don’t do something to help Birthright Israel soon, our future generations are not going to have the chance to dance at the Wall with hundreds of others. They won’t have the chance to talk to soldiers; to meet other Jews from across the country; to see the sights; to volunteer; to have meaningful discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing our wonderful homeland.
2025 is the 25th anniversary of the program. Maybe it is time for us as a community to do what Charles Bronfman asked of us: give a gift from one generation to another. It will be a gift that will last a lifetime!
