Birthright Israel study shows declining Jewish connection among nonparticipants

A new study — from the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. — surveyed two groups of young U.S. Jews who lived through the same summer. One group became less connected to their Jewish identity; the other, more connected. The difference was the 10-day Birthright Israel experience.

The report, “A Summer of Uncertainty: Birthright Israel’s Impact on the Summer 2025 Cohort,” examines the experiences and outcomes of 2,285 U.S. applicants, including 1,384 respondents surveyed after the trip. Forty-six percent of those surveyed had never been to Israel before; 58 percent had never attended a Jewish day school.

The findings are based on surveys of U.S. applicants to Birthright Israel trips, both those who participated and those who applied but did not participate.

The findings show that among politically liberal young Jews, connection to Israel rose 60 percent among Birthright participants and fell 26 percent among nonparticipants.

The percentage who said being Jewish is “extremely important” rose 46 percent among participants and did not change among nonparticipants. Connection to the worldwide Jewish community, Jewish history, and Jewish values remained steady for participants but declined sharply for nonparticipants.

Among participants, strong agreement that Jews ought to help other Jews rose from 44 to 56 percent, and strong agreement that Jews have a responsibility to contribute to the betterment of Israel rose from 36 to 41 percent. No comparable increase was observed among nonparticipants.

Despite security challenges and political tensions, researchers describe the program as a “formative experience and milestone” for participants.

“Never before in our research…have we seen such notable declines among nonparticipants,” said Prof. Leonard Saxe, Cohen Center director. “Yet even in such an environment…, Birthright not only strengthened connection to Jewish identity and Israel, but also reinforced Jewish identity at a time when many young Jews were experiencing declining connection.”

“The cultural headwinds facing young Jews are real and are pushing Jewish connection and pride downward,” said Gidi Mark, International CEO of Birthright Israel. “But what this research makes unmistakably clear is that Birthright Israel moves participants in the opposite direction.”

Mark added, “During that same summer, Birthright participants became more connected to Jewish identity, community, history, values, and tradition. Cultural pressures pose an existential threat to Jewish continuity, but we know what works: meaningful, firsthand experiences in Israel with peers.”

Elias Saratovsky, president and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation, said the survey results are “alarming. But the good news is that…if we invest in an effective intervention — Birthright Israel — we can win them back.”

Birthright Israel