Birthright Israel marks 18 years of trips for young Jews
Taking a trip with an organization called Birthright Israel has almost become a rite of passage for some young Americans with Jewish heritage.
More than 600,000 young people have taken free Birthright trips to Israel since the program was founded 18 years ago. "In Jewish tradition, 18 has a special meaning: It means chai. Chai means life," said Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark in an interview with "Get Outta Here," the AP Travel podcast.
Anyone age 18 to 26 with one Jewish parent may apply to take a Birthright trip. Participants come from 67 countries but nearly three-fourths are American. Most trips involve 10 days of sightseeing around Israel, with 40 participants from abroad accompanied by eight Israelis, mostly soldiers and students.
"They see a lot of sights," Mark said, "but the trip is an internal trip." He said most participants are not religious, and "for many of them, it's the first chance to be exposed to what it means to be Jewish."
In the past, families worried about safety on the trips, but, said Mark, "what we see in recent years is that Israel is considered sometimes more safe than many areas in the US, let alone in Europe."
