This week, a viral video has spread on social media, showing a group of Birthright Israel participants leaving their trip early to join an anti-Israel organization’s tour, in purported protest of Birthright Israel’s pro-Israel stance. Hasbara Fellowships, as a leading provider of pro-Israel education in Israel, wish to add our voice in support of Birthright Israel and its impact on hundreds of thousands of Jewish students, showing them Israel for the first time.
We are proud proponents of Birthright; thousands of Birthright alumni leave the ten day program with a deeper, stronger, and more intricate connection to their Jewish identity. Birthright offers this foundation for Jewish identity and ignites a first connection to Israel. Many of our Hasbara Fellows were initially connected to Israel on a Birthright trip. They then decided to take another step to learn more about Israel and the deep intricacies of her politics and struggles through our immersive Israel program. Our Fellows then returned to campus, as proud Birthright alumni and proud Hasbara Fellows. Because of both of these experiences, they became strengthened Israel advocates, ready to then build deeper connections with their Birthright peers and answer any of the difficult questions that may arise.
Throughout the years, we have seen many Hasbara alumni go on to lead hundreds of students on Birthright trips, creating an exponential impact. Because of their knowledge gained on Hasbara Fellowships, they were able to have a deep and lasting impact on their participants, be there to effectively respond to questions that may arise, and inspire the rest of their campus community to connect to Israel and their heritage.
As the Jewish world faces a well-financed campaign of de-legitimization against Israel, deeply educating the next generation of student leaders about Israel is more critical than ever. Hasbara Fellowships looks forward to continuing to offer our high-level Israel education and advocacy skills to all pro-Israel students, including the thousands of Birthright alumni.
For more information, contact Fay Goldstein at fgoldstein@hasbarafellowships.org or Robert Walker at rwalker@hasbarafellowships.org.
