I am honored to hear the same five words all the time: “Birthright Israel changed my life.”

I can relate. I grew up in a home with no Shabbat candles and no Passover Seder. As a teenager, I felt disconnected from the Jewish community, unaware that my identity could be a source of resilience and pride.

Participants on a Birthright Israel trip in an undated photo. Courtesy/Birthright Israel

Then in 1999, I was fortunate to join the first-ever Birthright Israel trip. It was a revelation: At the inaugural Birthright Israel Mega Event, standing among thousands of Jews from around the world, I realized I was not alone; I was part of a proud 3,500-year-old Jewish legacy. The experience set me on a lifelong path of Jewish meaning, purpose and connection. Today, I have the privilege of paying it forward by sharing the miracle of Birthright Israel with the next generation.

My story is not unique – far from it. Over 25 years, Birthright Israel has impacted 900,000 participants and created ripple effects on their friends, family members and communities. 

How do we know? From the beginning, we’ve been committed to rigorous evaluation by independent researchers. In 2009, the Cohen Center at Brandeis University launched the Jewish Futures Project, a longitudinal study that measures Birthright Israel’s long-term impact on our participants, comparing them to their peers who applied for a Birthright Israel program but never participated. The results demonstrate that Birthright Israel is shaping the Jewish world in ways we had only imagined. 

We already knew from previous studies that Birthright Israel participants are four times more likely to feel connected to Israel, even 20 years after their trip. They are twice as likely to feel part of the global Jewish community and more likely to have Jewish friends, celebrate Jewish holidays, take a leadership role in a Jewish organization, and support Jewish causes. One-third of our participants have returned to Israel. Many participated in a Birthright Israel Onward program, and thousands of our alumni have traveled to Israel since Oct. 7 to help support and rebuild communities impacted by the war on our newly established Volunteer Program. 

But now, as Birthright Israel alumni become parents, we see just how far that impact extends. The latest study from Leonard Saxe and his team at Brandeis University tells a powerful story: Birthright Israel alumni instill Jewish pride and identity in their children. 

The groundbreaking study demonstrates that 84% of Birthright Israel participants who are parents are raising their children exclusively Jewish, regardless of their spouse’s background. Our alumni are 122% more likely to celebrate their child’s bar or bat mitzvah compared to their peers who applied to go on a Birthright Israel trip, but never went. They are 65% more likely to send their children to Jewish overnight camp, 50% more likely to enroll them in Jewish day camp, and 44% more likely to enroll them in a Jewish supplementary education program. 

These extraordinary numbers confirm what many Birthright Israel alumni — especially parents like me — already know: our children are far more likely to grow up with strong and proud Jewish identities. 

Today, Jewish college students face unprecedented antisemitism and anti-Israel bias on campuses. From protests vilifying Israel to professors distorting Jewish history, the rise in hostility makes it clear: Jewish young adults need our support now more than ever.

When Jewish young adults feel connected, confident and empowered, they carry that strength forward and pass it on to the next generation. Parenthood may not be on their minds yet, but one day, many will have children of their own. When that day comes, the values and experiences we instill in them now will take on new life. 

Birthright Israel does more than change lives — it creates a ripple effect that strengthens Jewish identity for generations. With 900,000 alumni and counting, the reach is exponential.

To keep the Jewish people strong, resilient and united, we must continue lighting the path for those who come next. The impact is clear and proven. Now, it’s up to us to invest in the next generation and beyond. Supporting Birthright Israel means securing the Jewish future — because when we change one life, we create a ripple effect that strengthens Jewish engagement for generations to come. 

Elias Saratovsky is the president and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation.