Promise Of Return "Birthright" plan would assure young Jews a five trip to Israel. Jerusalem (JTA) group of Jewish philan- thropists, led by Wall Street money manager Michael Steinhardt and Montreal industrialist Charles Bronfman, have announced the creation of Birthright Israel, a $300 million fund that will support first-time travel to Israel by Jews aged 15 to 26 on existing accred- ited programs. The plan's organizers hope to enlist local federations and communities worldwide in joining the coalition of philanthropists — there are four addi- tional partners committed to the pro- ject to date — and the government of Israel in providing $20 million a year for five years beginning in January 1999. Bronfman, who was also the inter- national chair of the 67th General Assembly of UJA Federations of North America meeting.in Israel this week, said at a news conference here Tuesday that he hopes local commu- nities will provide follow-up program- ming for the travelers when they return to build on the Israel experi- ence, in the hope of forging a strong and vibrant Jewish identity. Bronfman said local communities would be responsible-for deciding who is eligible for the program. Natan Sharansky, Israel's minister of industry and trade and the chair- man of the ministerial committee on Israel-Diaspora relations, who spoke at the news conference, said the Birthright program is essential for forging bonds and creating a "com- mon educational background" among world Jewry. Despite enthusiasm for the grand scope of Birthright, some officials have expressed skepticism. They point out that the Israel Experience pro- grams, which provide partial funding for teens to visit Israel, have been less than successful in attracting large numbers of American teens, suggest- ing that peer involvement may play a greater role than the amount of fund- ing provided. In an interview with the Neu) York Times earlier this week, Steinhardt said, "It's my hope that over time, 10 or 15 years perhaps, the Birthright A It's a blessing your children have given you grand- children. But you've got big responsibilities. Here's one: Give the parents a subscription to The Detroit Jewish News. They'll find lots of useful new ideas about raising children in a Jewish or interfaith household. The Jewish News is a "Book of Why" about the holidays, our heritage and the world we live in. The information a parent needs. Provide your kids with a great tool for life in the Jewish community. Give them a subscription to The Jewish News by mailing in the coupon below or by calling (248) 354-6620 today. See? Being a good grandparent is easy! I'd like to send a 52-week Jewish News gift subscription Plus 5 free issues of Style Magazine Plus a free JN SourceBook - a $12 value A$76 value ... just $48 Please bill me Payment Enclosed Card No. Exp. Date Visa ($65 out of state) MasterCard Signature (Required) Your Name Your Address Your City State Zip Phone Gift Card Message: Send the Gift Subscription to: Name Address City State Zip Phone Mail to: Detroit Jewish News P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267 (248) 354-6620 or Fax (248) 354-1210 11/20 1998 Allow 2-3 weeks delivery of The Jewish News and 4-6 weeks delivery of the JN SourceBook. TRP998 16 Detroit Jewish News DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 11111 GPA-998 trip can develop into a tradition anal- ogous to that of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Our hope is that a trip to Israel will be another rite of passage of Jewish life." Speaking to the Times, Bronfman said he saw the program as "the sell- ing of Jewishness to Jews" who, at least in North America, are largely "free to be whatever they want to be." In the United States, only half of all Jews marry other Jews and a small minority of children of the intermar- riages are raised Jewish. Diaspora Jewry, now about 8 million people, is projected to drop to 4 million over the next three decades. Bronfman said under Birthright Israel, local Jewish Federations would contact new parents to tell them that a trip bank account for their child had been opened with $180 from the program. Friends, relatives and com- munity organizations could con- tribute to the account over the years to raise enough money for the child's 10-day trip. A recurring theme of this week's GA meeting has been the gulf that divides north American Jews from their Israeli counterparts, one of the problems the Birthright trip is intend- ed to address. Many GA sessions seemed to sug- gest that the issues might best be addressed cross-culturally, through such programs as organized trips to Israel, professional exchanges and social justice and philanthropic part- nerships. Representatives from local federa- tions that have linked up with Israeli cities through programs such as Partnership 2000 reported tremen- dous success in developing personal and professional connections between the communities. Steven Schanes and Michael Kleinman of Detroit praised their fed- eration's teen exchange program, which includes five weeks in Israel for American teens and one week in Detroit for Israelis. Schanes said this year's participants had already estab- lished "permanent relationships" fos- tered by e-mail exchanges and long- distance phone calls.