Despite a worldwide economic downturn which has reduced charitable giving and shuttered many non-profit organizations, the Jewish State is increasing its investment in Jews around the world, this time focusing on Jewish educators.
Dubbed "Teachers' Birthright," a new program approved at Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting will bring Jewish educators from throughout the Diaspora for heavily subsidized trips in Israel, much like the popular "Birthright Israel" program for Jewish young adults. The government has already granted $500,000 to the project, which will be matched by the Jewish Agency, with additional funds coming from participation fees and community sponsorships.
The program will be run through the five-year-old Masa organization, which runs five-month and year-long educational and experiential programs in Israel for Diaspora youths and is jointly owned by the government and the Jewish Agency. The goal will be to provide teachers with an Israel experience that they can share with their students, with an additional benefit of creating connections and relationships between Israeli teachers and institutions and their Diaspora counterparts.
Cabinet Secretary Ovad Yehezkel called the new venture "historic", saying it is the first time the State of Israel is investing in a long-term Jewish education project in the Diaspora. According to Yehezkel, only 20 percent of the world's Jewish educators have come to Israel, with most of them visiting of their own initiative. Under the new program, Yehezkel believes every Jewish educator in the world will have visited Israel within the next 10 years.
The Massacusetts-based Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation, which went bankrupt as a result of the Robert Madoff investment scandal, brought the program to the government's attention. The Lappin Foundation sent some 200 teachers on similar trips prior to closing.
In the meantime, Jews ages 18 to 26 who have never been to Israel on an organized tour are still eligible for free 10 day trips to Israel through a variety of Birthright-friendly organizations. To learn more about Birthright trips for students and young adults, visit www.birthrightisrael.com.