Birthright tours use Israel as 'learning lab' for American Jews

by Shaiya Baer

Founded in 1948, the state of Israel is a small country roughly no larger than New Jersey. Yet this small country holds immense spiritual and historical significance for Jews the world over. Estimates indicate that two-thirds of the 7 million American Jews have never visited Israel. Furthermore, the process of assimilation into non-Jewish American society and an intermarriage rate that exceeds 50 percent has led some sociologists to conclude that Jewish population figures will decline significantly during the next 50 years.

Photo courtesy of Brian Axelroth
Ten Vanderbilt students participated in the Birthright tour to Israel. Front row
(l to r): Rebecca Schlessinger, Julianna Sanchez, Kim Alban, Abbey Goldstein. Back row (l to r): Vanderbilt Hillel Director Shaiya Baer, Jeff Robinson, Brian Axelroth, Jon Bernstein, Craig Greenberg, Gregg Gulinson and Robert Ishak.

In 1997, financier Michael Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman, co-chairman of The Seagram Co. Inc., each contributed $8 million to a program designed to promote a stronger Jewish identity and stronger ties to the state of Israel. Along with Hillel International, the organization representing Jewish college organizations worldwide; Jewish communal and educational organizations; and the Israeli government; Steinhardt and Bronfman laid the foundation for a $300 million educational touring entity called Birthright. Jewish college students ages 18 to 26 are offered an intensive, 10-day tour of Israel at no cost through the Birthright program.

The first group of 3,000 students visited Israel in January 2000. A second trip of nearly 400 participants -- including 10 from Vanderbilt -- took place May 14-23. During the Birthright tours, students explore what it means to be Jewish using Israel as a learning laboratory. The tour organizers felt that this model would serve to strengthen the American Jewish connection to Israel and bolster the Jewish identity of the students. Vanderbilt students engaged in a number of discussions concerning facets of Jewish religious identity such as the Jewish relationship with God and Jewish minority status in the diaspora and majority status in Israel. The tour also probed contemporary political issues facing Israel.

Shaiya Baer is director of the Vanderbilt Hillel Center and took part in the May 2000 Birthright tour. He lived in Israel from 1984 to 1990, and has been at Vanderbilt since 1997