Study: Israel trips strengthen Jewish bonds
American Jews who have participated in a 10-year-old program that provides a free trip to Israel have a strengthened connection to the Jewish state, a greater sense of belonging to the Jewish people and an increased interest in building Jewish families, according to a study at Brandeis University.
The study released on Monday by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis sought to document the impact on participants of the Taglit-Birthright Israel experience, which has granted a free, 10-day trip to 220,000 Jews aged 18 to 26 since 2000. It was co-sponsored by Taglit-Birthright Israel.
“In ten short years, Taglit-Birthright Israel has inspired a generation of young Jews to reconnect with Israel and the Jewish community,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Taglit-Birthright Israel. “With tens of thousands on our waiting list, we are well on our way to establishing an educational trip to Israel as a rite of passage in the Jewish life cycle. That’s going to be the story of our second decade.”
Among key findings:
● Forty-five percent of participants felt the trip was “very much” and 28 percent "somewhat" a life-changing experience
● Participants were 23 percent more likely than non-participants to report feeling “very much” connected to Israel.
● Participants were 24 percent more likely than non-participants to “strongly agree” with the statement, “I have a strong sense of connection to the Jewish people.”
● Married, non-Orthodox participants were 57 percent more likely to be married to a Jew than non-Orthodox non-participants.
● Participants were 30 percent more likely than non-participants to view raising Jewish children as “very important.”
