The Benefits Of Birthright Competition

by Matthew Grossman
Special To The Jewish Week

I was not surprised to see recent articles indicating the phenomenal reach of birthright israel’s latest round of registrations. Quite simply, birthright’s effectiveness at delivering a powerful Jewish experience to an audience that is largely unaffiliated or marginally affiliated is one of the Jewish community’s great success stories, and it’s impact will be felt for decades.
One article, “Birthright Israel’s collateral damage,” published in the Jerusalem Post by Marilyn Henry last December, alluded to some negative effects of the popular Israel program. Apparently, several Israel programs targeting the teen market have seen a decrease in participation because high school students don’t want to disqualify themselves from the free birthright experience for which they are eligible once they turn 18.
As the executive

director of BBYO, a pluralistic teen movement reaching close to 25,000 young people annually and a provider of Israel travel programs for high school students, I want to offer a different perspective. In fact, I think it is essential for teen organizations, and for the entire Jewish community, that birthright’s expansion be accelerated and without bounds.
I can see why some providers of teen Israel travel might view birthright as a competitor. But in this case, I believe this competition is necessary. It forces organizations trying to reach teen audiences to be more aggressive in marketing and more creative in programming. For BBYO, this has meant a major expansion in our summer travel menu — with Israel offerings that include European add-ons, options for younger teens and families and special tracks for teens interested in community service and leadership. In fact, while birthright registration is at its highest, registration for our Passport to Israel program is currently 28 percent ahead of where it was at this point last year and our March of the Living program has experienced a 50 percent increase in registration. In my opinion, birthright has increased the curiosity about Israel travel and has forced BBYO to be more strategic about its own programs.
While birthright has had significant impact on the Jewish community, I would not term any of it as “collateral damage.” Like BBYO, birthright is reaching tens of thousands of young people who otherwise may not yet have had that Jewish “spark.” There is now a huge population of talented Jews under the age of 30 who have a nascent connection to Jewish life. In fact, these alums represent something the Jewish community desperately needs at this point in time — an enormous pool of young leaders and creators of new ideas, who are going to make a difference in the world.
Consider the enormous impact the under-30 crowd has had on society. Industry giants such as Google, Facebook and eBay have all been started by young Jews, none of whom are birthright alumni. Now, because of birthright, we Jewish leaders have the opportunity to connect with the country’s next great thinkers, entrepreneurs and leaders. Imagine what this bounty of new intellectual capital can do when it applies itself to the challenges facing the Jewish community. Surely it can help.
Matthew Grossman is executive director of BBYO.