Birthright Israel, best known for its 10-day trips to Israel for young Jewish adults, has transformed into what International CEO Gidi Mark calls “the majority of the living bridge connecting Israel and the world.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Birthright has brought nearly 60,000 participants to Israel despite the ongoing challenges; these include 550 participants from Massachusetts on its traditional 10 day program and 248 participants on its volunteer program. This summer alone, some 16,000 participants are expected to visit, including 120 participants from Massachusetts on the traditional 10 day trip and 37 participants on the volunteer program.

“We decided to never stop as long as we can provide a safe experience for our participants,” Mark told the Journal. He said Birthright only paused travel once, during the 12-day war with Iran in 2025, and then “returned just a few days afterwards to full operation.”

Mark said the war and the global backlash against Israel – as well as a recently published study from Brandeis University in Waltham – have sharpened Birthright’s sense of mission. “If I look at the number of groups, especially Jewish groups, that arrive in Israel, it is the majority by far,” he said. “We realize that it’s not only a privilege but also a big responsibility.”

The Brandeis study was conducted between spring and fall 2025, amid the Iran war, heightened campus tensions and growing social isolation among Jewish college students. It reported young Jewish adults who applied to but did not participate in Birthright trips experienced historic declines in Jewish connection, while those who visited Israel strengthened their Jewish identity, connection to Israel and sense of belonging to the Jewish people.

Mark said the findings prompted Birthright to change the academic content of its programs, adding more space for participants to talk about their campus experiences and concerns. “The trip and the group provides, for many of our participants, some safe haven,” he said. “This allows them to think clearly about who they are, where they want to be.”

The renewed sense of mission has encouraged Birthright to launch several new initiatives to attract more Diaspora Jews of all ages to Israel.

In partnership with the Jewish Federations of North America, Birthright started Volunteer in Israel, an eight day program for adults aged 18-50 (including this reporter, who wrote about his trip with a group from Greater Boston in December 2025). Volunteers support war-torn communities in both the south and the north with agriculture, education, rebuilding and social services; one group even helped high school students prepare for their English matriculation exams.

“More importantly, the volunteers are engaged with the community,” Mark said. “It really extends a lot of warmth and support and solidarity and sense of partnership to those people that were so badly hurt by the war.”

Since its inception, the program has brought almost 30,000 volunteers to Israel and expects to bring another 8,000 to 10,000 this year. “We can bring many, many more – tens of thousands,” Mark said.

To counter the avalanche of bad press Israel experiences online, especially among younger people using social media, Birthright has launched Storytellers, a track for content creators and influencers (as Mark calls them) who go to Israel to learn, travel and then speak to their audiences in their own voice.

“They come to Israel and they learn the facts on the ground,” Mark said. “They go around the country. They study the background, the political background, and the history of the region.”

So far, about 150 influencers from more than 10 countries – including Argentina, the U.K. and the U.S. – have taken part. The Journal profiled two local Birthright storytellers, Chestnut Hill’s twentysomething Sophie Arnstein and Waltham’s thirtysomething Dan Harris, last year.

Mark noted many of these creators have faced social pressure, or worse, back home. “They decided to fight for the truth,” he said. “Sometimes it requires a lot of courage. I have nothing except admiration for these people.”

Birthright has also begun reimagining its signature “mifgash,” the structured encounter between Diaspora participants and Israeli peers. Until recently, most Israelis who joined groups were soldiers or college students; now, Birthright is introducing participants to Israeli soldiers who were injured during the war.

Mark said these encounters aren’t merely symbolic, but deeply meaningful. “It’s about creating a deep and genuine human encounter,” he said. “These people have a genuine story of what happened to them.”

And while meeting recovering soldiers can offer participants insights into the human condition of Israelis – a lesson in resilience coping with reality – it also benefits the wounded warriors.

“Healing doesn’t happen only in hospitals,” Mark said. “Sometimes it happens around a dinner table, on a bus ride, or through a conversation between young Jews from different parts of the world. The soldiers become stronger by talking about their plight, and once again feeling like young vibrant adults who are spending time with friends and having fun experiences.”

All these new programs are part of Birthright’s Generations Campaign, an ambitious project to send 200,000 Diaspora Jews to Israel and raise $900 million in donations by 2029. This effort is led by Newton’s Michael Rashes, who was recently appointed chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation and was interviewed in February by this newspaper.

The well-being of participants remains a primary concern of Birthright’s organizers, even with the expanded programming. The organization has spent the time since Oct. 7 continuously adjusting itineraries, strengthening safety protocols, and coordinating closely with Israeli security authorities. Birthright cites its decades of operational experience as key to enabling travel even in unstable conditions.

Mark remains enthusiastic about Birthright and its mission. “In spite of what happened, I am still very optimistic and I invite every young Jew to visit Israel and spend time in this country, whether it’s through the 10-day trip, internship or a volunteer experience” he said.

“Many young Jews didn’t come over the past three years and even through COVID before that, and I believe that every Jew must spend time in Israel. We are determined to fulfill our mission to connect the Jewish people to its vibrant future.” Θ