The Pew Research Center did a study in 2020 which was reported on previously to this forum.  Now an analysis of the survey conducted by researchers at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University has commented that U.S. Jews who participates in Birthright trips to Israel are more highly identified and engaged in communal life than peers that did not. While only 39% of respondents said they were more likely to have a spouse who is Jewish, that figure rose from just 15% before the trip – marking an increase of 160%.

Birthright Israel, is a program that since 1999 has brought more than 800,000  2.6 million eligible Americans--Jewish adolescents on a ten-day, all-expenses paid trip to Israel to introduce them to the Jewish state’s ancient historical and cultural roots.

In 2004, Birthright Israel Foundation was created in order to help raise the funds needed to ensure this trip would be available today, tomorrow, and always.

To learn more about Birthright Israel go to: https://birthrightisrael.foundation/who-we-are/

To read more about the analysis see: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-722413

https://www.jns.org/us-birthright-participants-160-more-likely-to-marry-jews/

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee