In his article, “What’s Next for Birthright Alumni?” (May 16), Gary Rosenblatt stated that Michael Steinhardt views the current model of Jewish community as staid and outmoded. Admittedly, providing inspiring, inviting and compelling ways of involving Birthright alumni/ae is a major challenge. However, Steinhardt has overlooked the successful, pluralistic, volunteer model created by Limmud International over 26 years ago, which is flourishing in Jewish communities around the globe. And, Steinhardt has to look no further than Limmud FSU to see hundreds of Birthright alumni/ae engaged in rebuilding and renewing Jewish life in the former Soviet Union.
With more encouragement and visionary leadership, such as that provided by Matthew Bronfman, Limmud FSU honorary chairman, this overlooked population of an estimated 1.5 million Jews might grow
and flourish, nurtured by the more than 15,000 young people from the former Soviet republics who have participated in Taglight – Birthright Israel trips.
Although these young adults have little by way of existing Jewish community, they are challenged to renew Jewish life from the ground up — and successful Limmud FSU programs and conferences, most recently in Moscow and soon to come in Yalta, have proven that they are up to the challenge.
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