BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL CAMPUS INITIATIVE

CJP’s ongoing investment in our campus

helped transform Jewish student engagement

during the past four years. Our greatly increased

capacity to send students on Taglit-Birthright

Israel as a campus community has catalyzed a

new culture around post-trip engagement. All

kinds of Jewish students now travel to Israel with

us and bring their passion and unique perspectives

back to campus.

– Rabbi Jeffrey Summit

Tufts University Hillel executive director

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TABLE of CoNTENTS

CJP’s Birthright Israel Campus Initiative:

By the Numbers 2

It Begins with a Trip 4

Bringing Israel Back to Campus 6

Inspiring New Jewish Experiences 8

Strengthening Networks of Support 10

Transforming Jewish Life for Students 12

fostering Engagement on Campus 14

our Partners 16

1�Students releasing peace doves near Sderot

2�Northeastern students supporting Israel advocacy

3��Tufts students shooting hoops on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip

4�Tufts student overlooking Israel

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CJP’s Birthright israel CamPus initiative: By the numBers

Number of years since CJP launched the Birthright Israel Campus Initiative

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6Schools partnering with CJP to transform Jewish life and Israel engagement on campus

CJP’s Birthright Israel Campus Initiative builds on the success of Taglit-Birthright Israel, a free, 10-day trip to Israel for Jewish

young adults.

Six full-time campus coordinators work in

partnership with Hillel Houses and Taglit-

Birthright Israel trip organizers, recruiting

new students and inspiring alumni to

continue their Jewish journey upon return.

Participating campuses are reporting more

than 80% of alumni engaging in Jewish

life—that’s nearly three times the national

average. These are just some of the Initiative’s

many highlights from 2010 we’re proud

to share.

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CJP’s Birthright israel CamPus initiative: By the numBers

Initiative alumni returning to Israel each year for long or short-term programs

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605Israel-related programs, events or campaigns on partner campuses this year

80Percentage of CJP Birthright Israel Campus Initiative trip alumni actively engaged in Jewish life following their trip

10,000 Massachusetts Birthright participants sent by CJP since 2005

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it Begins with a

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1�Tufts visits the Dead Sea

2��BU student, Jake S., with his new friend in Haifa

3�Exploring a new land, making new friends

4�Student in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv

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recognized as the Jewish world’s “magic bullet” for engagement, taglit-Birthright israel has sent almost 300,000 young adults to israel since 1999.

Four years ago, CJP helped Boston become the first community to leverage the success of Birthright in ways that are measurable and sustainable. The campus model’s focus on pre-trip engagement and personalized follow-up is now being studied and replicated in other communities.

Of course, the magic begins with the trip itself: ten unforgettable days of discovering each participant’s

Jewish identity.

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israel BaCk to CamPus

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israel BaCk to CamPus

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1�Welcome to Harvard Hillel!

2��Team members regroup during Boston’s Amazing Israel Race

3�Northeastern students having fun at Israel Fest

4�BU Hillel students supporting Israel

CJP’s partner campuses have taken huge steps to increase the role of israel in the lives of Jewish and non-Jewish students. strategies range from hosting israel Fests on campus, to sending more than 400 students back to israel for short or long-term programs.

This year our partners used campus research to form coalitions with non-Jewish student groups and create Israel-related programs to engage unaffiliated Jewish students.

As a result, Boston campuses continue to expand their support for Israel — one relationship at a time.

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new Jewish eXPerienCes

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new Jewish eXPerienCes

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�1���BU students spending Spring Break in Israel

�2����Northeastern trip alum at Hebrew SeniorLife

�34���Amherst Birthright alums rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

CJP’s efforts to deepen student engagement through taglit-Birthright israel trips have had a remarkable impact on each campus. with CJP’s assistance, partner hillel houses are able to offer trip alumni a range of opportunities for their development as Jewish young adults.

Harvard trip alumni, for instance, produced two original, Jewish-themed plays this year through CJP’s grant-based Bus Empowerment Program. At Tufts, more than 20 trip alumni planned their own Jewish identity learning series with their CJP campus coordinator.

CJP’s student-driven model has helped campuses achieve record participation in Hebrew learning, Shabbat celebration and other Jewish student programming.

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networks oF suPPort

1�BU’s KateLynne P. showing support for earthquake victims in Haiti

2�Northeastern students rallying to support Israel

3��Sderot awareness campaign at Tufts University

4�Local activists taking a break

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hundreds of students helped ensure fair and balanced communication during campus protests against israel and her supporters. CJP played a key role by convening pro-israel student and community leaders to strategize and share resources.

From sponsoring advocacy conferences to offering online, stipend-based learning modules, CJP and our campus partners helped students take control of the message and expand support for Israel. With student leaders at the core of decision-making, CJP helps ensure that local universities remain hate-free zones for Israel and Jewish students.

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Jewish liFe For stuDents

1�UMASS Hillel team gearing up for “Ride to Provide” race

2��Northeastern student, Ruthi W., fielding questions on Israel

3�UMASS student leaders with Nadav Tamir

4�Israel Fest at Northeastern University

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Jewish communities around the world are turning to Boston to learn from CJP’s innovative Birthright israel Campus initiative. Birthright stakeholders have called Boston “the model community” for post-trip engagement.

In recent months, several campus Israeladvocacy campaigns were featured in American and Israeli media. In the coming year, CJP will work with campus partners to strengthen and diversify this growing

network of support for Israel.

Taglit-Birthright Israel will remain at the heart of these efforts, continuing its reputation as “the trip that changed my life.”

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Israel Shabb

at

FrIday N IghtNovember 20h Illel houSe

Services at 6pm (reform, Conservative, orthodox)

dinner 7:15pm always free to umass students

oneg 8pm music, games, and more food!

brought to you by StudeNt allIaNCe

For ISrael

www.umasshil lel.org

the initiative’s leaders work hard to offer an array of opportunities to students on campus, so there is something for everyone.

Our Soldiers Speak

REFLECTIONS OF A FRONT LINE ISRAELI DEFENSE SOLDIER

Sponsored by the Student Alliance For Israel

Sgt. Benjamin Anthony served the State of Israel as a combat soldier and now this dynamic and emotive

speaker proudly shares his rare, first hand insight into the humanity of Israeli soldiers; the decisions they make in times

of war and the moral code to which they proudly adhere.“Spell-Binding” “Dynamic” “Courageous” “Moving”

“Benjamin Anthony’s message of hope is one that will be appreciated by all kinds of audiences”

Tuesday, October 27, 7pm, Campus Center 162

All Are Welcome!

engagement on CamPus

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“CJP’s Initiative has achieved

many if not all of its ambitious

goals.”

— Cohen Center for

Modern Jewish Studies,

2010 program evaluation

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? “OUT” in Israel

Student Alliance For Israel proudly presents the film

“The Bubble” a romantic drama about a forbidden gay love story between an Israeli and a Palestinian.

The film will then be followed by a discussion

led by Matt Liebowitz about what it’s like to be gay and living in Israel.

Sponsored by SAFI, Hillel, StoneWall Center, and Pride Alliance

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 6:45 PM

Campus Center Room 904

Come relax with friends

& enjoy snacks at

SAFI’s monthly

Israeli Israeli Film Film NightNight

Wednesday December 10, 2008 Campus Center Room 174-76

7:00 p.m. FreeFor more information search “Ahava Columbianit” on Facebook

Sponsored by Student Alliance for Israel (SAFI)

This month’s featured film is

AHAVA COLUMBIANIT ( C o l u m b i a n L ove )

Come Shmooze SAFI!The Student Alliance for Israelwill be hosting its first event of the year!!

-Come meet old and new SAFI members-Play Shesh Besh and other Israeli games-Munch on some Israeli goodies-Chill and listen to Israeli music-And much, much, more….

Wednesday, September 23rd, 7:00-9:00pm Campus Center Room 162

All Welcome

with

engagement on CamPus

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CJP’s BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL CAMPUS INITIATIVE IS MAdE PoSSIBLE THRoUGH THE ENTHUSIASTIC CoLLABoRATIoN of:

Brandeis

University

Boston

University

Harvard

University

Northeastern

University

Tufts

University

University of

Massachusetts/

Amherst

oUR CAMPUS PARTNERS: oUR CoMMUNITy PARTNERS:

Boston-Haifa Connection

Consulate General of Israel

to New England

GesherCity

Hillel Council of New England

Jewish Community Relations Council

of Greater Boston

Joint distribution Committee

Israel Campus Roundtable

MASA

The david Project

Sachlav

Shorashim

Upstart Ideas

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ANd yoU!

Each one of our generous

and committed supporters

contributes to the success

of the Initiative. We are

deeply grateful.

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For more information about CJP’s Birthright

Israel Campus Initiative, please contact

Matt Lebovic, senior campus associate and

Yearbook author, at 617-457-8757 or

mattl@cjp.org.

Matt participated in the first Taglit-Birthright Israel

trip through Boston University Hillel House in 1999.

fINd oUT

Combined Jewish Philanthropies 126 High Street | Boston MA 02110 | 617-457-8500www.cjp.org

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