Connecting with a Global Jewish Community Through Birthright Israel
Each year, thousands of Jewish college students travel to Israel with Birthright Israel and their campus Hillels, gaining a powerful experience of Jewish identity and belonging alongside a community that will be there for them even after the trip ends. For over 80,000 participants, Hillel: Birthright Israel has been one of the most meaningful Jewish experiences of their college careers.
As conflict continues in the Middle East, many Jewish students are once again watching headlines from thousands of miles away and wondering how to understand what Israelis are experiencing on the ground. But for those who travel to Israel on a Birthright trip, the rich meaning of this ten-day journey cannot be overstated. The trip takes students from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea to Tel Aviv, offering a glimpse into sites that are both ancient and modern – and along the way, students build impactful relationships with each other and with Israelis, whose lives continue to be shaped by grief, resilience, uncertainty, and hope.
For Ben Novorr, director of Jewish student engagement at University of Kansas Hillel, who recently returned home from Israel, staffing Birthright trips has become a way to deepen those relationships with Israelis and with Israel itself year after year.
“Each time I staff Birthright, I leave with a slightly different takeaway when it comes to my own Jewish identity or connection with Israel,” said Novorr, who has led five Birthright trips with KU Hillel, including one this month. “When you visit a place enough, you start to feel like there is a community there that you are a part of, and even if you are only there once a year, it is waiting for you when you return.”
That sense of connection can look different for every participant. Birthright trips may share a structure, itinerary, and set of educational goals, but no two students experience Israel in exactly the same way.
For Judah Schuster, a rising fourth-year student at the University of Kansas, who traveled with Novorr this year, Jerusalem was one of the places that left a lasting impression. Every Hillel: Birthright Israel bus stops in Jerusalem for a ritual where the group pauses together to make the shehecheyanu blessing – a moment of gratitude for bringing them to this special place and time.
“Both times I’ve been to Israel, the Old City [of Jerusalem] never disappoints,” Schuster said. “It’s always impactful seeing one of, if not the most, important cities in the world… [And] seeing the ways in which the four very distinctive quarters combine to make up the city is so fascinating.”
For Brenna Gross, another rising senior at the University of Kansas, one of the most meaningful moments of the trip came through service. While volunteering at Netiv HaAsara, an Israeli agricultural village, she helped make sunflower bouquets and pick strawberries from the ground.
The work was simple, she said, but the ties she made with Israel were deep.
“Making sunflower bouquets and picking strawberries directly from the ground seemed simple, but it gave me a tangible connection to the people and communities of Israel,” Gross said. “Being able to contribute, even in a small way, helped me feel more connected to the resilience and strength of the people who live there.”
Given the recent conflicts between Israel and Iran, safety was top of mind for many participants. Birthright Israel’s extensive security measures and continuously updated protocols helped students focus on the purpose of the trip: learning and building relationships.
“Before traveling, I was worried about having to be in a bomb shelter for the majority of the trip and that our itinerary would be greatly impacted by the war.” Gross said. “ [But] there was not a single time on the trip where I was worried about my safety.”
Yet Gross was deeply moved by the lasting impact of conflict on Israelis and Israeli communities.
“As an American Jew, it is sometimes hard to process what happened on October 7th,” she said. “But after visiting the sites, specifically Nova, I was fully able to understand how this could have happened to anyone. Seeing the texts between the victims and their families and friends was gut-wrenching, especially the fact that a majority of the victims were people my age. While it may have been one of the hardest days of the trip, it was easily one of the most impactful.”
Unlike traveling alone, a Hillel: Birthright Israel trip gives students and staff a shared experience they can carry back to campus together. Gross reflected, “I hope to keep the inspiration alive by staying involved in Jewish life on campus, sharing my experiences with others, maintaining the friendships I made, and continuing to engage in conversations about Israel and Jewish identity.”
“I choose to be a Hillel professional and to be a Birthright staffer because my passion is creating Jewish community,” Novorr added, reflecting on the ways students built community throughout the trip. “Wherever we are and whoever we are, we are better together.”
Whether it’s standing together in the hills of Jerusalem, forming new friendships with Israelis in Tel Aviv, or taking that inspiration back to Hillels across the country, Jewish students are finding a deeper sense of belonging and connection through Birthright Israel.