Birthright Israel Sees Shift in Participants, Impact on Jewish Identity Amid Rising Antisemitism
A new study reveals evolving demographics and experiences among participants in Birthright Israel, the prominent Jewish heritage program, particularly in the wake of the October 7th Hamas invasion of Israel and the subsequent rise in antisemitism. Researchers are similarly observing a surprising trend: those who sign up for but do not ultimately participate in Birthright trips are showing a decreased connection to their Jewish identity.
Declining Connection Among Non-Participants
Len Saxe, a researcher at Brandeis University who has studied Birthright Israel’s impact since its launch in 1999, noticed a significant change in data from summer 2025. Individuals who registered for trips but did not attend—whether due to cancellations related to the June war with Iran or personal decisions—reported a declining sense of connection to Jewish values, history, tradition and the global Jewish community.
Saxe theorizes this is linked to the increasing exposure to criticism of Israel in some communities, where participants lack firsthand experience and context. “Unlike the period on campuses pre-COVID, when Birthright was taking 35,000 North Americans a year to Israel, students don’t know many others who have experience in Israel and know Israelis. Their perspective on the conflict lacks context,” Saxe explained.
Changing Demographics of Participants
The study also highlighted shifts in the composition of Birthright participants. In summer 2025, approximately 7,300 North Americans participated in Birthright trips out of 10,000 total, with 65% being college-aged. Notably, over half (54%) of participants had prior Israel experience, an increase from 38% in 2023. This rise is attributed to Birthright loosening eligibility requirements in 2014 to allow repeat visits for those who previously visited Israel in high school.
A significant increase was observed in the number of Orthodox participants, representing about 20% of the group—more than threefold the number from summer 2023. 38% of participants attended Jewish day school, up from 23% two years prior.
Political Shift Among Participants
The survey also detected a notable rightward political shift among Birthright participants. In 2025, 42% identified as conservative and 34% as liberal, a stark contrast to 2023, when 20% identified as conservative and 57% as liberal.
Birthright’s Continued Impact on Jewish Identity
Despite these changes, Birthright continues to strengthen participants’ Jewish identities. A recent survey by the Jewish Federations of North America found that millennial Jews—the demographic most impacted by Birthright—were the only age group where a majority identified as “Zionist.”
For liberal participants, the trip had a particularly strong impact on their understanding of what it means to be Jewish, with a significant increase in those who considered being Jewish “extremely important to their identity” after the trip (48% post-trip versus 29% pre-trip). Even participants sent home early due to conflict overwhelmingly reported a positive impact on their Jewish identity.
“Among those with the least prior connection to Judaism and Israel, including those politically liberal, they showed the largest increase in their connection to Israel, as well as other facets of their Jewish identities,” Saxe said.
Birthright Leadership Emphasizes Program’s Importance
Birthright Israel’s leadership emphasized the program’s crucial role in countering declining Jewish engagement. Gidi Mark, international CEO of Birthright Israel, stated, “The cultural headwinds facing young Jews are real, and they are pushing Jewish connection and pride downward. But what this research makes unmistakably clear is that Birthright Israel moves participants in the opposite direction. The decline occurred only among those who did not go.”
Elias Saratovsky, president and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation, added, “We are at a crossroads. If our community does nothing, we risk losing the younger generation. But if we invest in an effective intervention—Birthright Israel—we can win them back.”