On Tuesday, 1,000 Russian-speaking participants celebrated Taglit-Birthright Israel’s 18th birthday. For most Birthright Israel participants from the Former Soviet Union, the trip marked not only their first visit to Israel, but also an opportunity to discover the country’s cultural capital themselves and bring the experience back home to their communities.

Participants who attended the events in Tel-Aviv enjoyed a full day of unique activities including: Zumba classes and beach volleyball, a “Mayumana” show at the Abraham hostel, self-navigated tours of the city and a colorful Mega Event in the evening. The Mega Event was held at “Wohl Amphitheater” in Ganey Yehoshua.

In addition, an education fair showcasing a broad range of programmatic opportunities in Israel, available for young Jewish adults from the Diaspora also took place, followed by a dance party that concluded the evening.

The event took place within the framework of a 10-year partnership between Taglit-Birthright Israel and the Genesis Philanthropy Group, designed to provide Russian-speaking participants with a variety of enrichment experiences while on Taglit-Birthright Israel trips.