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I like the perspective of Maryland resident Susie Gelman, Birthright Israel Foundation's board chair: "We recog- nized that we needed additional resourc- es in order to reach out to more alumni and offer them a wider variety of oppor- tunities to explore and strengthen their Jewish identity and sense of connection to Israel and to the Jewish people Further Challenges As amazing as it is that Birthright Israel has given so many young Jews a golden opportunity through the allure of peer travel, challenges remain in keeping alumni engaged. JTA compiled a sobering list: finding the human resources to extend personal attention, providing original or joint program- ming that can compete with non- Jewish activities and interests, steering clear of immediately seeing alums as a new donor base, maintaining correct contact information for a highly tran- sient demographic group. Every successful venture that breaks new ground confronts and overcomes seemingly endless challenges. That's the way it works. Success typically doesn't come painlessly. Against the backdrop of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, Birthright Israel has much to be proud of in just getting young Jews to Israel. The program is known formally as Taglit — Hebrew for "Discovery' Taglit certainly should take the extra step to sustain the excitement for Israel and for being Jewish among returnees. But it shouldn't bear the sole responsibil- ity for that. If the rest of the Jewish communal world doesn't also embrace that crucial next step in assuring compelling follow- up, Birthright Israel will remain only a gateway and a portant will not be a spur for a lifetime of Jewish and Zionist engagement for a significant number of alumni, which it has the potential to be — and which it really should be. [I] Should Birthright Israel be more than a mission organizer? What role must local communities play in engaging alums?