Director's Letter
September 3, 2019
Dear Friends,
Fueled by electoral politics, the connection of diaspora Jews to Israel is no longer simply a Jewish issue, but now a topic of international debate. The relationship between politics and Israel is the focus of one of three new studies in our program of research examining the impact of Birthright Israel. A second study explores the Jewish identities of Birthright participants using a new approach to understanding program impact. A third study examines Birthright’s impact on participants from countries of the Former Soviet Union and Germany.
“Israel, Politics, and Birthright Israel: Findings from the 2017 Cohort” tackles the issue of politics and Birthright’s educational approach. How does Birthright handle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other sensitive political and cultural issues? How does the political orientation of participants interact with their experiences? Perhaps surprisingly to some, the majority of participants report that their trip addressed political issues in a thoughtful manner and that diverging opinions were respected. Regardless of their political leanings beforehand, participants’ feeling of connection to Israel increased. Although connection to Israel was strengthened for all participants, this was particularly true for those who identified as politically liberal.
A second study focusing on Birthright, represents the development of a new way to study the program’s impact. Adapting a technique we first used in our socio-demographic studies of Jewish communities, “Birthright’s Impact on Five Jewish Identity Groups” identified five types of Jewish identity among young adults who applied to a Birthright trip last summer. We looked at what distinguished the different types of Jewish identity and how those identities interacted with the Birthright experience.
Finally, we are highlighting a report released earlier this summer that looks at the experiences of international participants on Birthright. “The Impact of Taglit-Birthright Israel on Participants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Germany” focuses on two groups of Birthright Israel participants: first, those from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus and second, Russian-speaking Jews (RSJ) in Germany. The report describes participants’ distinct Jewish backgrounds and their experiences on Birthright.
Although each of these reports arose out of our study of Birthright Israel, the findings speak to Birthright Israel’s broad effects and have larger implications. Understanding how Jewish young adults think about their Jewish identity and Israel, and how this relationship is influenced by political orientation, nationality, and religious attitudes should help institutions and educators across the Jewish community more effectively engage the next generation.
Thank you for your continued interest in our work.
B’shalom,
Leonard Saxe, PhD
Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Social Policy
Director, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University