Birthright Israel NEXT inspires all Taglit-Birthright Israel trip participants and their peers to expand their connections to the land and people of Israel, to deepen their personal commitments to Jewish life, and to find or form a community where Jewish responsibility, learning, and celebration thrive.

Many people are intimidated about the idea of going to an event at a Jewish institution Will people be my age? Will I understand what is happening? Will it be even be remotely cool?

For this reason, Birthright Israel NEXT supports peer-driven events and gatherings we encourage friends to invite friends and engage in Jewish life on their own terms. Our local leaders think about natural connections between people and how these connections can form niche communities of shared interests. Rather than trying to gather a few thousand people in one place, we gather small, self-organized groups of people in hundreds of places.

What are these gathering like? In addition to the programs that celebrate Jewish holidays and Israeli culture, our most popular events focus on community service, career networking, environmental education, and the arts. More formal educational events, such as Hebrew Ulpans, Israel seminars, and ongoing Jewish learning are also sprouting up.

Few Birthright Israel NEXT events lead people directly to the door of existing Jewish institutions; however our leaders are encouraged to draw on the cultural and educational resources of their local Jewish communities. By doing so, they are sparking interest in Jewish life and nurturing the first steps of involvement in Jewish community.

Birthright Israel NEXT is supported by a small number of family foundations and private individuals. Our Board of Directors includes Madlyn Abramson, Arlene Kaufman, Al Levitt, Daniel D. Och, Lynn Schusterman, and Michael Steinhardt.