Posted on February 12, 2007

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Adelson Family Charitable Foundation Awards $25 Million for Birthright Israel Program

Taglit-birthright israel (BRI) has announced a $25 million grant from the Adelson Family Charitable Foundation, enabling the program established by the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies to double the number of free summer trips to Israel it will be able to offer this summer.

The grant from the foundation, which anticipates making similar gifts to BRI in the future, is contingent on BRI's other funding partners maintaining their annual collective commitment of $51 million to the program. Funded by the Israeli government, private philanthropists, and Jewish communities around the world, BRI provides free educational trips to Israel for young Jewish adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who have never visited the country.

With the gift from the Adelson Foundation, at least twenty thousand youth will be able to participate in the program in 2007. Since its launch in 2000, 120,000 eligible young adults from fifty-one countries have taken part in the program. The program's long-term goal is to provide trips to at least half of all eligible Jewish adults annually.

"The birthright israel program is one of the best ideas our time has seen because it has the greatest potential to maintain Jewish continuity in the face of growing assimilation," said Sheldon Adelson, the majority owner of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and one of wealthiest men in the world. "By founding the birthright program, Michael Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman have given one of the greatest gifts to the Jewish people in our generation. We applaud their creativity and generosity, and we are privileged and honored to provide the resources to enhance the program and solidify its future."

“Adelson Family Pledges Additional $25 Million to Fund 10,000 More birthright israel Participants This Summer.” BRI Press Release 2/05/07.

Primary Subject: Arts and Culture
Secondary Subject(s): International Affairs/Development
Location(s): International, Israel, United States

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