Media contact: Sara Libman, Puder PR, New York

Office: 212-558-9400; from Israel: 03-722-0237 ext. 2; [email protected]

New York, N.Y. (December 19, 2023) - After careful consideration and conversations with its partners, Birthright Israel, the largest educational tourism organization in the world, will restart its free, 10-day trips in Israel the week of January 5, 2024. The organization expects 350 participants, about 80 percent of them from the United States, to visit in January and a few hundred more through March 2024. 

Registration for the summer trips will begin by mid-January on Birthright Israel’s Website.

Birthright Israel's upcoming trips will operate under strict safety and security standards set by the Israel Defense Forces' Homefront Command. Additionally, all Birthright groups will undergo a pre-trip orientation. In addition to matters covered in previous seasons, the upcoming orientations will cover adjustments to the schedule and to safety and security parameters.

Birthright Israel is committed to providing participants with a safe and a meaningful experience, which they might need now more than ever.

Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark said that while we continue to ensure that the standard sites and insights are visited throughout the program as safety permits, achieving our goals of positive Jewish Identity building, and connecting participants to Israel and Israelis is key. “Alongside a fun and meaningful experience, we want our participants to understand what happened on October 7th and gain meaningful insight on how the events affected Israeli society and Jewish communities around the world, and how our Jewish lives, values and community help us find hope in these dark times.”

Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world that has transformed the lives of 850,000 young Jewish adults ages 18–26 with a gift of a 10-day educational tour of Israel. Its mission is to ensure a vibrant future for the Jewish people by strengthening Jewish identity, Jewish communities, and connection with Israel. The organization also brings thousands of participants to Israel through its Birthright Israel Onward and Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship and internship Programs.

The gift of a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to the support of tens of thousands of donors to Birthright Israel Foundation and Birthright Israel Foundation of Canada as well as an innovative partnership between Jewish communities around the world and the Government of Israel. Our partners donors who support our mission see it as an ongoing investment in the State of Israel and its relationship with the Jewish world.

Below, please find photos of Birthright Israel groups visiting in Israel. Photo courtesy of Birthright Israel.

About Birthright Israel:

Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world. Founded 23 years ago with the dream of providing every Jewish young adult with the transformational experience of a trip to Israel, Birthright offers multiple short- and mid-length programs in Israel for Jewish young adults. More than 850,000 young Jewish adults from 68 countries have received the gift of a 10-day educational tour in Israel with Birthright Israel, introducing them to the country’s ancient roots and modern wonders. Additionally, more than 10,000 people have attended internships, academic studies, and fellowships through Onward Israel, and over 1,000 Jewish young adults have attended the highly selective Excel Fellowship and are now part of the global Birthright Israel Excel Fellows community. Birthright Israel has a steadfast partnership with the government of Israel, donors and Jewish communities from around the world.