To The Rescue

Birthright Israel gets $7 million lifeline
from Avi Chai Foundation.

DINA KRAFT

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Tel Aviv

A

new grant of $7 million to
Birthright Israel is breath-
ing new life into the cash-
strapped program, allowing
Birthright to double the number of
slots available for this summer's
,
tours.
The future of Birthright — which
provides free trips io Israel for dias-
pora young adults — was thrown
into question recently as it became
clear that its sponsors were not going
to meet their financial commitments
to the organization for 2004.
The major drop in funding came
from the Israeli government, which
reduced its funding for Birthright to
a token amount for 2004 because of
budget constraints. That prompted
Birthright to reduce its available slots

this summer to 3,500.
Now, with a new "challenge grant"
of $7 million from the Avi Chai
Foundation, Birthright and Avi Chai
are hoping the group of 14 Jewish
philanthropists who helped launch
Birthright will match the Avi Chai
grant.
Already, the group has notified its
trip providers that it will now be able
to bring 8,200 young Jews to Israel
this summer. The real cost of the
program is $2,400 per participant,
said Marlene Post, chairwoman of
Birthright Israel USA.
Avi Chai officials said foundation
members felt compelled to con-
tribute the money to make up for
the Israeli government's drastic slash
in Birthright funding.
We "believed it was unfortunate
for the program to have to suffer a
significant reduction in the number
of participants just as Birthright was

Making A Match

reaching full
strength," the
foundation said in
a news statement.
So far, Birthright
has taken about
60,000 young peo-
Starkman
ple ages 18-26
from the diaspora
to the Jewish state. Only youth who
never before have been on a peer
tour of the country are eligible to
participate.
About 380 participants have been
from Michigan, said Miriam
Starkman, executive director of Hillel
of Metropolitan Detroit.
"Overall, the effect has been
tremendous," she said, "not only in
getting students interested and
involved in Israel,
but also getting
them involved in
their own Judaism
and in the
American Jewish
community.
"Its impict has
been impressive
and will resonate
far into the
Steinhardt
future."

.444ity,vr,

Birthright officials reacted to the
announcement of the $7 million
grant with delight.
"We are extraordinarily grateful to
Avi Chai, in whom we have great
respect," said philanthropist Michael
Steinhardt, one of Birthright's
founders and principal funders and
chairman of Jewish Renaissance
Media, parent company of the Jewish

News.
Steinhardt said the foundation
agreed to become a Birthright phil-
anthropic partner and is planning to
give an additional $1 million per
year for each of the next five years of
the program.
When Birthright was launched, the
three major sponsors of the program
— the Israeli government, a group of
Jewish philanthropists and the North
American Jewish federation system
— agreed to evenly divide the fund-
ing for the $210 million, five-year
program.
Each party originally committed
to contributing $70 million for the
first five years. However, citing severe
budget constraints, Israel cut its
funding this year to $400,000,

RESCUE

on page 27

Ak,

4.

Sherman Family Challenge Fund lifts
Federation's 2004 Annual Campaign.

dollar for dollar. Donors who raise their
n tribute to seven decades of serv-
Campaign gift from last year's amount
ing the Jewish and secular com-
will see the increase doubled. The
munities of Detroit and to his
Campaign's $35 million goal includes the
financial investment in Jewish life
expectation that the challenge fund will
worldwide, Max Fisher has become the
raise $4 million.
focal point of a major appeal to spark
Sponsors of the challenge fund are the
new and increased giving to Federation's
Shermans and their children: Ellen and
2004 Annual Campaign.
David Sherman, Sylvia and Randy Wolf
Fisher's family has created the Jane and
and Robbie and Scott Sherman.
Larry Sherman Family Challenge Fund
Jane Sherman is one of Marjorie and
in honor of his 95th birthday last July.
Max Fisher's five children. With homes
Fisher, who lives in Franklin and Florida,
in Franklin and Israel, she shares her
is an industrialist,
father's love of the Jewish state. "What
presidential and
better way is there to celebrate my
Republican Party
father's lifework on behalf of the Jewish
adviser, confidant to
people," she asked, "than to follow in his
Israeli prime minis-
footsteps?"
ters and mega-giver
Jane is national chair of the United
to Jewish and civic
Israel Appeal and on the Jewish
causes.
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's
Thanks to the
Board of Governors.
challenge fund, every
Grandson David said, "Our gift was
new gift to the
from the heart, to show our grandfather
Campaign will be
Fisher
our deep admiration for him. He has
matched, typically

Seated, Larry and Jane Sherman, Sylvia and Randy Wolfi standing, Robbie and
Scott Sherman, Ellen and David Sherman
$3.2 million will be split equally between
taught us well. He has always been the
one to step up. Now it's our turn to carry Israeli and local needs.
The Campaign goal is the second
forth his legacy to the next generation."
highest ever and the highest in a year
Matching dollars raised by the chal-
lenge fund will go to urgent Jewish needs that Federation is not running a concur-
rent emergency appeal. The 2003
worldwide. As set by Federation's Board
Campaign and concurrent Grand
of Governors, the first $1.2 million that
Challenge Israel Emergency Fund raised
make a match will be allocated to Israeli
urgent needs; the next $2 million to local $34.6 million.
agencies and programs; anything over

❑

2/20
2004

21

