World

Israeli Art Exhibit

- ea ur nq
wbfrk of 45 artists and including:
Original paintings and serigraphs, hand-woven tallisim, kippot,
jewelry, glass, ceramics, sculptures, seder plates, tzedakah
boxes, Shabbat candlesticks, Kiddush cups and much more.

Photo by Birthright Israel

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Support Israel and find
exceptional gifts!

Opening day:

Sunday, Oct. 21 • 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Enjoy an Israeli lunch buffet at
Milk & Honey from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for $13.95,
and dinner buffet from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. for $19.95
and a Complimentary wine reception
in the lobby at 5 p.m.

Show continues:

Monday, Oct. 22-Wednesday,
Oct. 24, from 10 a.m-8 p.m.

Presented by Bar Kocva

Participants in the Birthright Israel program celebrate as they land in Israel
in July 2004.

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
6600 West Maple Road • West Bloomfield
www.jccdet.org

Financial Push

Philanthropists press federations
to raise more money for Birthright.

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Jacob Berkman

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

New York

M

ajor philanthropists behind
Birthright Israel are pres-
suring the United Jewish
Communities and the Jewish federa-
tion system to contribute more fund-
ing to the program.
When the initiative to send Jewish
young adults on free 10-day trips to
Israel was launched in 2000, private
philanthropists, the government of
Israel and the federation system agreed
to share the costs equally. But this year,
with the budget for Birthright hitting
$80.6 million, the federations thus far
have contributed only $5.5 million.
"I don't think there has been an
honest-to-God buy-in;' said Charles
Bronfman, who founded Birthright
with fellow philanthropist Michael
Steinhardt.
In an unprecedented step to cull
more money from the UJC system,
Bronfman's foundation is setting aside
about $1.5 million for local Jewish
federations to hire full-time develop-
ment professionals to raise money for
Birthright. In addition, the UJC and
Birthright are discussing the creation
of an endowment fund of up to $500
million to fund Birthright on a con-
tinuous basis.
Bronfman has written a scathing
essay deriding the UJC for contribut-
ing less than 1 percent of its budget
to Birthright. He and the other private

philanthropists who back Birthright
say that without more money from
the federation system, a program that
is widely seen as the most successful
Jewish continuity effort cannot keep
up with demand.
For federations, said Eric Levine, the
UJC's senior vice president for Jewish
peoplehood and identity, the situa-
tion is not so simple. "In all honesty,
everyone wants to fund Birthright to
a greater extent," he said. Federations,
however, are multi-issue organiza-
tions; and their fundraising totals are
increasing incrementally, he said.
"The fact is that we don't want
to pull money from a poor person's
mouth to pay for a free trip to Israel:'
Levine said.
To a large degree, the funding
crunch is a product of Birthright's suc-
cess. The program was only expected
to last five years, but now with par-
ticipation skyrocketing the plan is to
keep it running indefinitely — and
at higher levels. The result for many
federations is greater-than-expected
financial demands.
In 2000, 9,462 Jews between the
ages of 18 and 26 took the free trips.
This year, nearly 36,000 from around
the world, mostly North America, are
expected to participate, with thou-
sands more on the waiting list.
Birthright has cost $314 million
over the past eight years. Private phi-
lanthropists have contributed $147
million and the Israeli government

Financial Push on page 24A

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October 18 • 2007

23A

