Birthright Israel: a free trip to Judaism’s Birthplace returns after COVID-19

Birthright Israel participants observed people praying in front of the Western Wall. Photo courtesy of Ethan Nikfar

Bright blue doors dot the limestone houses that populate Safed, a city in northern Israel. The labyrinth of cobblestone streets overlooking the Sea of Galilee is the historical site that stood out most to Jordan Alejandro Dinerman, a senior Near Eastern and Judaic studies major at Brandeis University.

“It was really awesome to see that Jews have lived there since the 1500s, if not before," Dinerman told The Panther about Safed. "It's got a significant place in Judaism." 

Dinerman and other young Jews had the opportunity to visit Israel because of Birthright Israel, a seven- to 10-day free trip to Israel for members of the Jewish community between the ages of 18 and 32. Participants get to visit sites like the Western Wall, the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv, along with other landmarks that hold significance in Judaism. 

Birthright Israel will host trips again starting in June for the first time since COVID-19 began, requiring participants to be fully vaccinated.

According to their website, Birthright’s goal is to “motivate young people to continue to explore their Jewish identity and support for Israel and maintain long-lasting connections with the Israelis they meet on their trip.”

Dani Farb, a senior psychology major, told The Panther that spending two weeks with the same group of people on Birthright exposed her to different worldviews when she went to Israel in August 2021.

“Something about Birthright that's really interesting is that you spend your entire two weeks with these people and you really get to know them on a personal basis,” Farb said. “By the end of the trip, I realized that we all want the same thing. We all just want to feel connected more — to feel loved. We want to understand our heritage more.”

Farb said being surrounded by Jewish people made her feel a deeper connection with Israel and her religion.

“(In California), there's not a lot of Jewish people on the street," Farb said. "But in Israel, you walk by and everyone says 'Shabbat Shalom,' and you just feel like a nation where you feel protected. And even if you go into (Birthright) not understanding or not knowing a lot about Judaism or Israel, if you're Jewish, you really feel connected and welcome.”

For Ethan Nikfar, a freshman pharmacy major, the relationships he built during Birthright were also what stuck with him the longest when he traveled there in July 2021.

“The kind of friendships that I've built, the connections that I made with people on the trip, that's something that's never gonna leave," Nikfar said.

Dinerman said one of his favorite memories on Birthright was the sunrise after he landed in Israel.

Birthright Israel: a free trip to Judaism’s Birthplace returns after COVID-19

“We flew in at night and in the midday, we drove up into the mountains and stayed on a kibbutz near the Golan Heights," Dinerman said. "I got up at six in the morning, and I went out and walked around and watched the sunrise. Saying ‘Hatikvah’ — which is the national anthem of Israel — to myself, I literally cried because it was so powerful to actually be in Eretz Israel, the land of Israel.”

Going to the Western Wall was another impactful experience for Dinerman, because he was able to see the religious site in-person for the first time and pray. 

"I said the ‘Shema,’ which is the most important prayer in Judaism,” Dinerman said. “You write a little note of a wish, and you put it in the wall, and it's supposed to go from the wall directly to God's ears.” 

Nikfar advised people who plan to go on a Birthright trip to go with people they do not know, so they can explore Israel on their own terms.

“Don't go with too many people that you know,” Nikfar said. “You want to explore Israel, not (to be) having to hang out with a certain group of people. Come in with an open mind and go with the flow.”

To people who are unsure about going on a Birthright trip, Dinerman said any Jewish person can have their life changed by going to Israel, no matter how religious or knowledgeable about Judaism they are.

“Even if (you) don't feel ‘Jewish enough,’ you should go," Dinerman said. "Even if you don't think that you'll connect to it. It's a free trip, and it can really change your whole world.”