I am writing this at a moment of profound vulnerability for Israel and for the Jewish people.
Ever since October 7, 2023, the world has changed for our people, and not for the better. Attacks on Israel from the American left and right have grown more intense and increasingly rewarded politically. On a planet filled with urgent concerns, this tiny country thousands of miles away has become central to American political life.
Something dangerous is happening, and its implications may be existential for Israel, and for our children and grandchildren. The battlefield is no longer only Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran. It is also TikTok and Instagram, our universities, and increasingly our politics. Our children are exposed daily to a torrent of accusations against Israel, and increasingly against Jews themselves.
The Jewish people are engaged in two inseparable struggles: Israel’s security, and the identity and continuity of the next generation. That makes Birthright Israel more important today than I ever imagined.
I have worked in the Jewish community since 1970, and even then, we worried about the weakening connection of the next generation. Research consistently showed that an experience in Israel had an almost failsafe power to connect young Jews to their identity and their people. Still, fewer than 20,000 young American Jews a year were going, most already highly affiliated.
