Birthright trips program for American Jewish youth

Onward Israel, established in 2012 by the Jewish Agency in collaboration with numerous partners from the Jewish world, aims to sustain high levels of Jewish engagement among American young adults, who might otherwise not maintain a connection with Israel. The organization builds on the foundation of Birthright trips for university-aged students offering more in-depth and educational experiences for US youth. “Onward Israel is designed to meet the interests of today's young adults who seek international resumé-building experiences,” said David Shapira, the program’s co-founder and Board Chair. “Onward Israel is becoming one of the most attractive and fastest growing deep-impact programs in the Jewish world.”

Shapira explained that the Foundation’s investment will enable the organization to continue its growth, while investing in educational content to attract more youth. As such, in the coming year, Onward anticipates increasing the number of participants it engages from 1,520 to 2,200. The coming year will also see 11 different theme-based experiences—up from four in 2015—in areas such as Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Education and Social Services; Science, Technology and Health; Policy and Government; and Sports, Hospitality and Business.

These programs seek to engage more than 300 young adults, providing the opportunity for participants to form future professional networks based on a shared professional interest, interaction with Israeli society, and a shared Jewish experience in Israel. “Through Onward Israel’s range of program and opportunities, more and more young adults connect with Israel and build lasting personal connections to the land and people,” explained Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “Young adults are especially attracted to these experiences because they add value to both their personal and professional lives,” he said.  “We believe that when Jewish and Israel education occurs in this context, it is particularly powerful.” In addition, last year Onward Israel launched numerous new initiatives to deepen Jewish learning experiences including introducing weekend seminars for participants, launching evening mini-courses and internships for academic credit, as well as a pre-program online Hebrew learning opportunity in partnership with Ulpan Or.

According to a report released last year by Rosov Consulting, which has evaluated the organization since its inception, found that the majority of Onward Israel participants return home and increase their engagement in Jewish activities and in the Jewish community, taking on leadership roles including organizing and leading Jewish social, cultural and religious events. “Even a year after their Onward Israel experience, participants are more engaged in Jewish life than they were previously, and many remain connected to their peers from the trip,” said Alex Pomson, Managing Director of Rosov Consulting. 

Lidar Gravé-Lazi