Are you interested in taking a birthright trip to Israel? If you are of Jewish heritage and want to learn more about your background, this is a great opportunity to travel and explore a beautiful place. Whether you are mostly looking for an opportunity to learn about Israel or you are simply excited to travel in a new country, a birthright trip may be just what you’re looking for at this point in your life.
Taking the leap and booking a trip may seem intimidating at first, especially if you haven’t traveled much on your own yet. To learn more about Israel and how you can connect with your Jewish heritage by taking a birthright trip, keep reading.
4 Interesting Facts About Israel Birthright Trips
Here’s four tidbits that may compel you to go ahead and book your trip. They’ll also provide some answers to questions you may regarding the trip and what it’s like to travel to Israel.
1. The Jewish population
If you were raised Jewish in an area that doesn’t have a high population of Jewish people, you may feel the need to connect more with your heritage and people of a similar background. There’s no reason to hold off on spending time traveling the world with people who have the same Jewish heritage as you do.
In Israel, you won’t have that problem. More than 43% of Jewish people reside in Israel currently. Out of 14.3 million Jewish people total in the world, that’s a large percentage. When you compare it to the number of Jewish people living in the United States or other parts of the world, it’s a huge difference. There are only 5.3 million Jews living in the United States, according to research from the Pew Research Center. This experience will definitely leave a lasting impact.
2. People travel from all over the world on birthright trips
There won’t be a shortage of new and interesting people to meet if you take a birthright trip to Israel. It’s a popular event for those of Jewish heritage all over the world. In 2015 alone, there were participants from 66 different countries who chose to take a birthright trip. They all came together in one location to experience this event. In total, there were around 45,000 people who participated during 2015.
3. Young adults often make the trip
If you’re a young adult between the ages of 18-26, you will likely meet a lot of people in your age range taking the birthright trip. Every year, there are tens of thousands of individuals within that age range who research and travel to Israel on a birthright trip. This may make the trip more impactful as you can develop new relationships and friendships with others who have a Jewish heritage while traveling and exploring some place so meaningful.
Over the years, more than 500,000 young adults made it a priority to take one of these trips demonstrating why birthright trips are so popular.
4. Travel to a new, exciting place
While traveling in Israel, you will be exposed to new cultures and interesting sites. Israel itself holds more than eight million people. The number of people residing in Israel has increased drastically since 1948 when the country was first founded. The cities you may visit are full of people and culture, too. Currently, Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel. There are around 865,700 people who lives in Jerusalem. The second largest city is Tel Aviv where 380,000 people currently reside. It’s also known as the “White City”.
In Conclusion
If these facts and tidbits have sparked your interest and cleared up some of your questions, now is the time to research and plan birthright travel to Israel. Every winter and summer, registration opens up for birthright trips. This only occurs twice a year so be sure not to miss the registration period. It will be the trip of a lifetime where you’ll learn so much more about the Jewish heritage while exploring a beautiful country full of culture.
