Source: eJewish Philanthropy
Some 2,000 young adults who thought they had missed the chance to travel on Taglit-Birthright Israel when they turned 27 – the regular program is for individuals 18 to 26 – are getting a chance to experience the touted 10-day free trip to Israel.
This summer, and again in October and November, Birthright is piloting a series of trips for people between the ages of 27 and 32. The organization opened these missions up to its 25,000 past applicants who had not participated in a Birthright experience for one reason or another. According to Birthright CEO Gidi Mark, some 6,000 people applied in three days.
The decision to run these pilot trips was made after Birthright underwent a strategic planning process last year that examined areas of potential growth for the organization, Mark explained.
One suggestion among many that came out of the planning process was to increase the age of Birthright to 32. He said this is partly because young adults today take longer to make life decisions, such as their career path or who they will marry, so they are still malleable and able to be influenced in their early 30s.
More than 650,000 18- to 26-year-old people have participated in Birthright since its inception.
Mark said Birthright believes that every Jew has a way to connect to his or her Jewish identity, though the methods for connection change overtime. This newest pilot, he said, is an example of Birthright’s commitment to test new approaches. “We understand that if we do not change, we stand to lose hundreds of thousands of young Jewish people,” he said.
Read more at eJewish Philanthropy.