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6 | MARCH 14 • 2024 
J
N

essay
Birthright Trips Going Forward
A

t the end of January, 
I was honored with 
the invitation to 
join the inaugural cohort 
of an Educator’s Forum 
in Israel sponsored by the 
Birthright Israel 
Foundation. 
This group of 20 
North American 
madrichim (staff) 
from campus 
Hillels, cam-
pus Chabads, 
local Jewish 
Federations and similar orga-
nizations, and five Israeli tour 
educators was brought to Israel 
to tackle the question: What do 
we do with our Taglit Birthright 
trips in a post-Oct. 7 Israel? 
Throughout the week, we 
saw what Israel looks like post 
Oct. 7, and how the people of 
Israel are recovering from this 
tragedy. We bore witness to 

the atrocities committed on 
Oct. 7, visiting the site of the 
Nova Festival, Kibbutz Kfar 
Aza and Sderot. We spoke with 
a Bedouin woman who gave 
us insight on the emotions of 
minority populations in Israel. 
We visited Hostage’s Square in 
Tel Aviv, where we spoke with 

families who have loved ones 
still being held in Gaza. We also 
gave back to the land by potting 
fresh sage and lavender, which 
will be planted in the south to 
begin regrowth in destroyed 
farmland. 
In between these experiences, 
our cohort engaged in extensive 

conversation surrounding the 
Israel/Palestine conflict, how we 
educate our Birthright partici-
pants on Zionism, and what can 
be done differently on Taglit 
Birthright trips to balance the 
tumultuous times with feelings 
of hope from Israeli society. 
One of the most impactful 
conversations we had as a 
cohort was with the Birthright 
Israel leadership in Tel Aviv. 
In this meeting, I was able to 
touch on the campus climate at 
the University of Michigan and 
share with Israelis the influence 
of the war on college campuses; 
how pro-Israel students are 
fighting a war of their own 
and its effect on prospective 
Birthright participants. Once 
both North American and 
Israeli staff were on the same 
page, we were able to truly 
dissect the Birthright itinerary 
and work toward enhancing 

PURELY COMMENTARY

continued on page 7

Allison 
Bloomberg

JENNIFER LEE

The first cohort of the Birthright Israel Foundation Educators Forum

BIRTHRIGHT INTERNATIONAL AND ALLISON BLOOMBERG

