Despite Ongoing Conflict, Young Jews Continue to Visit Israel on Birthright

Birthright has seen a drop in the number of young people going on a free 10-day, all-inclusive trip to Israel in the 10 months following Oct. 7. The war, the bombing in the north, the uncertainty and the constant threats have all taken their toll.

Despite the situation, Birthright continues to bring groups of young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel. This summer, Mila Brener and Eli Tsives from Los Angeles joined the trip, which took them to all the regular tourist sites, but also a new one: the Nova Festival site. The area has turned into a shrine for those murdered at the music festival, and features the pictures and names of the young men and women who lost their lives there. This new stop on the trip served as a vivid reminder of what Israelis have been dealing with ever since the establishment of the state.

“That was the toughest part of the trip,” Brener said. “When we stepped out of the bus, we were standing right where it all happened. Right there on the road that took us to the site, Hamas was driving pickup trucks and shooting at cars and people. I was so shocked and had a pit in my stomach.”

Mila, who is enrolled at Loyola Marymount and is an actress, recently appeared in “Guns & Moses” by director Sal Litvak. She and Tsives, a student at UCLA studying film, were part of a group of mainly students from California, ages 19-26.

“I read the memorial of each person, they were around our age. These people went to celebrate life, and it was taken from them,” said Brener.

The organizers also introduced the group to a bereaved father who talked about his son who was killed during this war. 

“At Mount Herzl, we visited a section where all the IDF soldiers who were killed are buried,” Brener said. “The bereaved father talked to us about his son. It was shocking looking around and seeing so many graves of those soldiers who had sacrificed their lives.”

Tsives, who made headlines after he posted a video of himself being blocked by pro-Palestinians who didn’t allow him to get to his class on campus, was recognized a few times during the trip.

“I was surprised, but it’s great to know that the videos I’ve been doing reached so many people,” said Tsives. “It’s heartwarming to know people love what you are doing and say, ‘Keep up the good work.’”

This was his third trip to Israel, and while he said he’s been to most of the places before, the experience of being with such a group was empowering.

“When you go with a group, you pretty much obtain a binding family and you must stick with them,” Tsives said. “You are doing fun and difficult things together, so you become very close to them.”

Brener’s favorite part of the trip was visiting Jerusalem. “It had a good mixture of a city with a fun vibe and being in the Holy Land. Visiting the Western Wall was super spiritual. That’s where I felt the most connected to my Judaism.”

“It had a good mixture of a city with a fun vibe and being in the Holy Land. Visiting the Western Wall was super spiritual. That’s where I felt the most connected to my Judaism.” – Mila Brener

One memorable day was celebrating Shabbat in Jerusalem. Brener said she was raised in a nonreligious home and doesn’t usually celebrate Shabbat. 

“This experience has made me want to continue doing things like that more often. Keeping the tradition and celebrating the holidays is very important for me as a Jew.”