30,000 past-participants of ‘birthright Israel’ have pledged to visit Israel during the year 2004.
The graduates of the program made their pledge as part of a campaign launched by Israel’s Tourism Ministry in conjunction with ‘birthright Israel.’ The campaign has recruited 30,000 past participants – not only committed to visiting Israel themselves during 2004, but pledging to bring family and friends along with them this time.
The initiative was launched by the Tourism Ministry at the beginning of the Jewish calendar year, during the High Holidays. Pledge forms were distributed in synagogues across North America under the slogan: ‘I Care and I’m Going.’
Soon after, ‘birthright Israel’ joined the campaign, distributing the pledge forms to its tens of thousands of past participants worldwide through email and over their web site (birthrightisrael.com ).
Since its inception four years ago, ‘birthright Israel’ has brought 48,000 Jewish students from 35 countries to visit the Jewish homeland.
The past nine months have seen a dramatic rise in tourism from North America. The intensive marketing effort by the Ministry of Tourism has born fruit, with 182,000 visitors from North America so far – an increase of 24% over last year.
“As the largest organizer of Israel tours, the collaboration of ‘birthright Israel’ with the Tourism Ministry’s initiative is a natural one,” said Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, Director of ‘birthright Israel’. He added, “We are pleased to see the success of the ‘birthright’ project’s marketing methods - specifically the recruitment of 48,000 young Jews from tens of countries – all who are interested in advancing Israel’s tourism should take note. The positive results are expanding ‘spheres of influence’: tens of thousands of students arrive in Israel for their first time, come back to visit a second time, and on their third visit they bring their friends and family who have never been here before.”
“In this manner,” explains Shoshani, “not only are the tourism figures strengthened - from tens of thousands of visitors to hundreds of thousands - but Diaspora Jewry’s connection to Israel is greatly strengthened as well.”
A Brandeis University study has demonstrated a great increase in identification with Israel amongst ‘birthright’ participants. Thousands return for additional visits, many have decided to stay and immigrate to Israel, and hundreds have chosen to serve in the IDF.
Ari Dann visited Israel for the first time on a ticket paid for by ‘birthright Israel’. “I fell in love with Israel,” said Dann, who now lives in Maale Shlomo – an outlying neighborhood of Kochav HaShachar in eastern Samaria, “and although I didn’t have enough packed to just stay on after the birthright trip, I knew Israel would be my home the second I finished my degree in environmental science.” Dann returned to Israel the following January.
The graduates of the program made their pledge as part of a campaign launched by Israel’s Tourism Ministry in conjunction with ‘birthright Israel.’ The campaign has recruited 30,000 past participants – not only committed to visiting Israel themselves during 2004, but pledging to bring family and friends along with them this time.
The initiative was launched by the Tourism Ministry at the beginning of the Jewish calendar year, during the High Holidays. Pledge forms were distributed in synagogues across North America under the slogan: ‘I Care and I’m Going.’
Soon after, ‘birthright Israel’ joined the campaign, distributing the pledge forms to its tens of thousands of past participants worldwide through email and over their web site (birthrightisrael.com ).
Since its inception four years ago, ‘birthright Israel’ has brought 48,000 Jewish students from 35 countries to visit the Jewish homeland.
The past nine months have seen a dramatic rise in tourism from North America. The intensive marketing effort by the Ministry of Tourism has born fruit, with 182,000 visitors from North America so far – an increase of 24% over last year.
“As the largest organizer of Israel tours, the collaboration of ‘birthright Israel’ with the Tourism Ministry’s initiative is a natural one,” said Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, Director of ‘birthright Israel’. He added, “We are pleased to see the success of the ‘birthright’ project’s marketing methods - specifically the recruitment of 48,000 young Jews from tens of countries – all who are interested in advancing Israel’s tourism should take note. The positive results are expanding ‘spheres of influence’: tens of thousands of students arrive in Israel for their first time, come back to visit a second time, and on their third visit they bring their friends and family who have never been here before.”
“In this manner,” explains Shoshani, “not only are the tourism figures strengthened - from tens of thousands of visitors to hundreds of thousands - but Diaspora Jewry’s connection to Israel is greatly strengthened as well.”
A Brandeis University study has demonstrated a great increase in identification with Israel amongst ‘birthright’ participants. Thousands return for additional visits, many have decided to stay and immigrate to Israel, and hundreds have chosen to serve in the IDF.
Ari Dann visited Israel for the first time on a ticket paid for by ‘birthright Israel’. “I fell in love with Israel,” said Dann, who now lives in Maale Shlomo – an outlying neighborhood of Kochav HaShachar in eastern Samaria, “and although I didn’t have enough packed to just stay on after the birthright trip, I knew Israel would be my home the second I finished my degree in environmental science.” Dann returned to Israel the following January.