I just led a Birthright tour to Israel, and I learned a few useful things about keeping short-lived groups loyal to the cause.
Birthright provides a free peer group educational trip to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26 who have never participated in a peer group program. The program’s purpose is to strengthen participants’ Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people and to Israel. Funding for this extraordinary program comes equally from leading Jewish philanthropists, Jewish communal institutions and federations, and the Government of Israel. More than 160,000 young people from 52 countries have taken part.
The ten-day program takes participants on a frenetic dash through Israel from top to bottom—from the northern Galilee to the southern Negev desert—with numerous stops at spiritual and historic locations including Jerusalem. From camel-riding to rafting down the Jordan River to interactions with Israelis, the program is filled with adventure.
My tour group was specifically for participants age 25-26, and included many students in law, medical, and business schools, as well as young professionals already involved in their careers.
Birthright’s success has been documented by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, which finds that participants feel “very much connected” to Israel at a rate nearly three times as high as nonparticipants. One third of recently returned participants said they were likely to return to Israel during the next two years.
But there’s a bigger challenge. How do you sustain enthusiasm among Birthright participants over the years? It’s a problem that all colleges and universities face, as do other organizations with which people are directly affiliated for only a short time.
Birthright has proven adept at inspiring loyalty among its alumni using several techniques:
- Alumni are immediately enrolled in Birthright NEXT, an online resource that connects them via e-mail list and website with ongoing programs and coming events in their communities.
- NEXT promotes new opportunities to return to Israel for study, travel, and work.
- The NEXT portal promotes virtual communities through its online network, blog, video, and photos.
Through techniques like these, which any organization can adapt to its own needs, Birthright offers not only a potentially life-changing experience, but also remains visible to alumni by offering them a wealth of future opportunities.
To read about my Birthright adventure, check out my personal blog, or check out my pictures.
