Birthright Israel

KAITLYN FINCHLER kfinchler@cjn.org Posted Oct 23, 2024 at 8: 30 AM

You can view the original article here at Columbus Jewish News

Maddy Katz, 27, packs food for low-income residents at Pantry Packers in Israel. Submitted photo

In an effort to encourage people with disabilities to go on Birthright trips to Israel, residents across the United States traveled with Camp Ramah to volunteer, sightsee and engage in Jewish traditions in the country.

Maddy Katz, a 27-year-old Columbus resident, took part in one of these trips from Sept. 16 to Sept. 24.

Some of the highlights of the trip for Katz were watching and trying wheelchair paralympic basketball, picking olives on a farm, packing food for low-income people, making tzitzit for soldiers, seeing friends and family, watching sunsets, celebrating Shabbat and trying new foods, she told the Columbus Jewish News.

“I have ADD/ADHD,” she said in an email. “So, visuals are very helpful and we had a lot of people who were like that on this trip. We had one person who was missing a limb and a couple people with food allergies – also me. It was a lot of (fun) learning about everyone and everyone’s special talents.”

Howard Blas, senior adviser at the National Ramah Tikvah Network, organized the trip with Birthright Israel.

PHOTOS: Columbus resident reflects on Camp Ramah, Birthright Israel trip

Maddy Katz, a Columbus resident, does a double thumbs-up outside of the Harmony Hotel Jerusalem.
Emily, left, Ben, Maddy Katz and Rachel – all friends from camp – at the Anu Museum in Tel Aviv
Maddy Katz, a congregant of Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, holds up a zeet zeet she made for soldiers
Maddy Katz wearing her grandfather’s talliet and tafflin at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Maddy Katz wears a sweatshirt reading, “always your neighbor” to represent the food bank, Neighborhood Services, Inc., that she volunteers for, while in Israel.
A sign in Hostages Square that reads, “TIKVAH,” in Tel Aviv.

“A lot of people started getting the idea that volunteering in Israel was a nice way to pitch in and show support and help out,” Blas, a New Haven, Conn., resident, told the CJN. “I got the idea that maybe people with disabilities would also have something to contribute.”

Blas said he approached Birthright since he had organized trips for people with disabilities for the organization before, and they were “very supportive” and said “let’s do it.”

The group unexpectedly had to relocate to Jerusalem on the last night of the trip due to safety concerns, but organizers tried to minimize unpredictable occurrences, Blas, a congregant of The Westville Synagogue in Westville, Conn., said. Traveling with people with disabilities comes at a higher cost than a typical trip to Israel.

“Our population needs more support and we need staff,” he said. “We need to fly with them. We need to have extra activities and hotels will be better, meals will be better. So, (Birthright) basically picked up the cost of all those accommodations for our group.”

Katz said this trip was geared towards everyone’s individual needs at a “much slower pace” and more her speed.

“We’re flexible,” Blas said. “Even though it’s very structured, if we see that people are really tired and we’ve overestimated how much we can get done in a day, we can reevaluate. We were very impressed with the group’s flexibility.”

It was “extraordinary” to see the realization in the participants that they were able to do everything their families had done on other Birthright trips, Blas said.

Planning for trips with neurodivergent participants means more structure, Blas said. Free time is “not usually the best” for these trips, so off-time was filled with activities and excursions.

Katz, who volunteers “a lot” with Neighborhood Services Inc., a food bank in Columbus, said the participants prayed “the Camp Ramah ways” with tunes from camp, and saw Jewish sites such as Hostage Square, Old Jerusalem, food markets and more.

Hoping more Jewish leaders will recognize the importance of these specialized trips, people with disabilities need to be considered as the same priority as neurotypical people and people without disabilities for Birthright trips, Blas said.

The next trip akin to this with Birthright will be in December for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Katz, a congregant of Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, previously went to Israel on a Birthright trip with Blas in December 2017. She wanted to go again because Blas was “very organized” and a “great leader,” and wanted to be with people like her, she said.

“The first trip was much more fast-paced and moving around a lot,” Katz, who works part-time at the Grandview Yard Giant Eagle in Columbus, said. “This trip was one – a different city for the last night for safety, not planned – hotel and it was much more volunteering, which is what I love.”

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The Original Article is Published at JPost.com

DIASPORA AFFAIRS: How to present the much-changed nation to the thousands of Birthright visitors.

I recently had the privilege of participating in the pilot cohort of Birthright Israel’s latest staff training initiative, the Educators Forum, in Israel.

The goal of the program was to bring together an experienced group of Jewish professionals – US and Canadian staff members and Israeli tour educators – so that together we could bear witness to the events that took place on October 7, recognize the new realities that have resulted in Israel in the aftermath of those events, and learn from and with one another to better understanding what is facing the Jewish people – both in Israel and in the Diaspora.

The hope in coming together was to begin creating a shared language that could be taught to all future Birthright Israel trip leaders, especially those who will be leading trips in summer 2024. 

Birthright arrives in Israel to a new reality 

Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport, our traveling group of 20 North Americans, along with five Israelis – who, combined, had staffed more than 200 Birthright Israel trips and positively affected the Jewish journeys of nearly 8,000 participants – were met by members of the educational teams of Birthright Israel, the Taglit Institute for Tour Educators, and M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, who would be our guides, teachers, facilitators, and co-partners in the weeklong experience. 

PARTICIPANTS IN the Birthright Israel group leaders’ trip. (credit: Courtesy Birthright Israel)

The journey was moving, meaningful, and successful from both professional and personal standpoints. Let me begin with the personal.

I cried three times on Friday, the next to last day of our trip.The first time was at Mount Herzl, when our group paid a morning visit to the freshly dug graves of soldiers killed in Gaza.

The second time – out of pride and joy – was Friday night at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem. Our group, which included 10 rabbis of all denominations, backgrounds, and genders (e.g., Chabad, Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist), created a holy space as we welcomed Shabbat together with prayer explanations, songs, and personal stories. How extraordinary that such a diverse group can come together so comfortably to create a community of unity and respect within the framework of Birthright Israel! 

After our group Kabbalat Shabbat experience, about a dozen of us joined nearly 100 worshipers at the hotel’s Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv service. Most were Yemenite refugees from Yachini (near Sderot), and have been living in the hotel for the past three months. The Ashkenazi rabbi, wearing a black hat and coat, with a full beard, respectfully announced in Hebrew and English that prayers would include the traditions and prayer customs of both Ashkenazim and Sephardim, and that, following the Ashkenazi-led Kabbalat Shabbat service, we would be singing “Bar Yochai,” a song sung by many Yemenite Jews, followed by Maariv in the Sephardi tradition. 

My final tears came as my group came back together in a sharing circle after dinner to celebrate an Oneg Shabbat. Michael, one of the tour educators, shared the haunting story of his son who was serving in Gaza and, during a recent battle, sadly lost a friend and fellow soldier, and who himself was wounded and put into an induced coma. 

Fortunately, his son is recovering, but Michael related to us the difficult conversation he and his wife, and daughter-in-law, had to have in deciding who among them would tell his son about his friend’s death, once he awakened in his hospital bed.

This story was just another example of the complexities and realities of the war and its impact on Israelis and Israeli society.

What an intense, emotional, inspiring week it was for our group. Among us were executive and assistant executive directors of Hillels and Chabads on campus, campus rabbis, Israel program coordinators, Federation professionals, and a handful of others working for various Israel and Jewish educational organizations. We arrived together as individuals with our hopes and expectations for what we would encounter, and we left the program with the feeling, trust, and connection of a family, determined to recruit and bring Birthright Israel participants to Israel in the very near future.

Together, we visited the site of the Supernova music festival, and Kibbutz Aza, where we came face-to-face with the destruction and murder that took place there. We visited Sderot in the pouring rain and looked at an empty plot of land where the local police station once stood. It had been overrun by Hamas and was promptly blown up by the IDF after learning that the Israeli civilians inside had sadly been killed. The IDF acted quickly so the terrorists could not escape.

Later in the week, we visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where we spoke to family members and friends of those still being held hostage. Seeing and hearing these stories of tragedy and loss was extremely difficult and emotionally draining. 

We also experienced the incredible sense of hope, resilience, and unity that has taken root and flourished in the country. We met with Adir Schwartz, 29, one of the leaders of the Jerusalem Civilian Command Center in Jerusalem, which, only hours after learning about what was happening in the southern communities bordering Gaza, began coordinating efforts to do whatever was necessary to help fellow citizens – whether it was collecting and distributing food, finding clothes or apartments for evacuees, supporting soldiers with needed equipment, and so on. To date, the center has spent NIS 10 million to help Israelis in need, and will continue until it is no longer needed.

In many ways, everyday life in Israel has returned to normal. The shuks are full, the streets and roads are flooded with foot and vehicular traffic, and groups and individuals are visiting the country. Our El Al flight and the one that departed two hours before ours were overbooked.

And Birthright Israel participants are already on the ground! They include Birthright Israel Onward participants, who have been traveling to Israel since early November for one- to two-week volunteer programs, as well as participants in classic 10-day Birthright Israel trips. Registration is currently open for summer 2024 trips, which are to bring thousands of participants from around the world to Israel.

THROUGHOUT OUR week in Israel, we were inspired by our group leaders and the Birthright Israel staff. Gidi Mark, international CEO of Taglit Birthright Israel, said to us: “In light of recent events… we must come together to ensure that we are providing the support, knowledge, and perspectives that our participants need, now more than ever, to continue to thrive and develop their Jewish identity.” 

Dr. Zohar Raviv, international VP of educational strategy for Birthright Israel, described our group as a “traveling think tank in Israel” charged with helping outline Birthright Israel’s educational philosophy and approach in the wake of October 7.

“We uphold the seminal need to be wholly reactive to these events, while remaining strategically proactive in realizing the fuller potential of solid Jewish and Israel education in the broadest sense…. We wish to articulate a strategic blueprint whose impact not only functions vis-à-vis October 7, but extends far beyond that day.” 

We also met with historian and author Prof. Gil Troy, who serves as the chairman of the Birthright Israel International Education Committee.

We heard from an avocado farmer in the fields of Be’eri who remains a believer that peace will soon come, even after his next-door neighbors at the kibbutz were kidnapped and murdered. And we had lunch with Shlomi at a Tunisian shul in Netivot, where this modest man, who lost 22 friends since October 7, quietly feeds 10,000 civilians and another 6,000 soldiers each week through the charity he founded at age 15.

We met with a Bedouin woman in Beersheba, from the Desert Star program, learning how she empowers women and girls in the community to get a better education.And we spent the first half of a day at ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, in Tel Aviv, walking through Jewish history and culture and taking turns guiding our peers through various exhibits and relating our personal Jewish narratives.

TO MY mind and clearly in the assessment of Birthright Israel, the weeklong program was a success. The organization is now recruiting to bring two larger cohorts of the Educators Forum to Israel in March, with a goal of training 140 trip leaders.

Throughout the trip, we never lost sight of the mission, or stopped considering how we will teach, guide, and share our knowledge and passion with our future Birthright Israel participants. I know that my new friends and colleagues who participated in the Educators Forum are up for the challenge.

We need to return to our campuses and communities and assure students and Jewish young adults that it is safe and important to come to Israel now!

Within the next few months, we will all return to Israel, leading trips and presenting the new and always evolving Israel to the thousands of Birthright Israel participants who will soon take advantage of the gift Birthright Israel provides.

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Originally published in Jewish Insider

In Short

Birthright Israel’s “Big Tent” approach allows participants from a range of Jewish backgrounds, including families with only one Jewish parent – and, though less-widely known, to people with disabilities and medical issues. 

Isaac Orhring of Danbury, Conn., still can’t stop talking about his unique Taglit-Birthright Israel trip three years ago. “Every Jew should have the right to go on Birthright Israel as a rite of passage, just like a bar mitzvah! Unfortunately, not everyone’s aware of every kind of disability. While some disabilities are obvious, others, including autism, are not. This should not stop young Jewish adults from visiting Israel for free on Birthright Israel.” he said.

Birthright – for all Jews

Taglit-Birthright Israel is well-known around the world for its free trips to Israel for Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 and 32. Since 1999, they have given over 750,000 people from 68 countries, every U.S. state and nearly 1,000 universities the opportunity to experience Israel and Judaism first hand.

Birthright Israel’s “Big-Tent” approach welcomes participants from a range of Jewish backgrounds, including families with only one Jewish parent – and, though less-widely known, to people with disabilities and medical issues. 

The program included people with disabilities and other support needs almost from its inception, with its first accessible trip in 2001. To date, over 2,000 participants have participated in more than 75 trips through various trip provider organizations.

A “Pinch Me” Moment

In 2019, Birthright Israel reviewed its policies on disabilities, developing a mission statement that clarifies its stance that all are welcome on the trips, regardless of disability. “Guided by our Jewish values, we aim to be inclusive of all individuals with disabilities, special requirements, limitations or challenges.”

Potential participants may be considered for participation on a typical Birthright Israel trip, or they may elect to participate in a specially designed trip with support for their needs. The itinerary often includes the usual “highlights” including the Dead Sea, Masada, the Kotel and camel riding. 

Trips support participants with various intellectual, developmental physical and sensory disabilities, medical issues and addictions. Recent trips include a range of themes: American Sign Language, Asperger’s syndrome, inflammatory bowel disorders, physical medical disabilities, twelve-step recovery and others.

Feedback to date has been positive.

Pamela Saeks, mother of an Aspergers trip participant said, “For years we searched for an organized trip to Israel that had the additional support necessary to enable Karly to participate.” Birthright’s willingness to include Karly was a “‘Pinch me, I must be dreaming’ moment,” she said.

Danny Wolf of Los Angeles participated on the Tikvah Ramah trip. He has cerebral palsy with limited mobility and verbal abilities. An aide funded by Birthright Israel assisted with feeding, self-care and communication needs. 

“It sounds corny but he has the same birthright as any other young adult who is Jewish to experience Israel independently without his parents,” Danny’s mother, Michelle Wolf, adds.

Pete, a participant on a Birthright Israel twelve-step recovery trip, reflected on his childhood Hebrew school experience, followed by “a series of events that paved the way for trouble” and subsequent addiction issues.

“Recovery has been my path to taking responsibility and to growing up,” he said. “Coming on Birthright Israel, I knew I would have a chance to have a second bar mitzvah. I brought my tallit and tefillin, which I received for my original bar mitzvah. This trip has given me the chance to have my real bar mitzvah and today I am ready to embrace the responsibility that it entails.”

Building a Special Trip

Most Aspergers trips include a visit to the Holon Children’s Museum “Invitation to Silence” exhibit. During the hour-long tour, participants are taught by deaf guides to use non-verbal communication. Participants gain a better understanding of the Israeli deaf community, and the deaf guides learn of the many strengths of people on the autism spectrum. 

Some trips include visiting army bases to meet soldiers with disabilities as part of the “Special in Uniform” program. The soldiers with disabilities share their experience in the army and national service and of their overall experience as an Israeli with autism. The encounter usually ends with a joint pizza party and the exchanging of contact information on social media.

As Israel’s borders continue to open even more to tourism and as the number of Birthright Israel trips increase, it is a good time to continue spreading the word about Birthright Israel’s commitment to sharing the Birthright Israel experience with every Jewish — with and without disabilities and medical needs.

The authors have been associated with and committed to Taglit-Birthright and accessible trips for many years. Elizabeth Sokolsky is the executive director of Taglit-Birthright Israel. Howard Blas is a social worker, special education teacher, Jewish educator and writer. He has been associated with the Tikvah (disabilities inclusion) program at Camp Ramah for 35 years. He currently serves as the director of the National Ramah Tikvah Network. He has led one Tikvah Birthright Israel trip for participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Amazing Israel and four Birthright Aspergers trips through Shorashim.

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Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

American-Israeli basketball influencer making an impact on courts and screens all over the world.

NEW YORK – Mike Kaufman may be the most popular Israeli basketball player you never heard of.

The American-born 28-year-old Kaufman played professional basketball for two years in Israel, is a well-known basketball teacher, coach, sports journalist/videographer and social media influencer. He has accompanied NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to Greece, shot around with Dwyane Wade, taught literally millions of aspiring young players to make complex shots, and recently did a feature video story on Israel’s two recent NBA draftees – Deni Avdija and Yam Madar.

These days, Kaufman consistently outscores all Israeli basketball players on social media combined by a long shot. The very gregarious Kaufman described himself this week to The Jerusalem Post as a “late basketball bloomer.” He was born into a Jewish family in New York, moved to Florida at age seven, and eventually made his high school basketball team as a junior.

“I fell in love with Cambridge and Boston,” said Kaufman, who went on to play at Division III Lesley University, where he studied business management and psychology and served as captain for two years. Kaufman set two school records – most three-pointers made in a single game and best single season three-point percentage at 44.5%. He was also a semifinalist in the 2014 ESPN college dunk contest.

During his college years, Kaufman met Berdugo, who currently serves as head skill development coach for all of Israel’s national basketball teams.
Kaufman was impressive enough to catch the attention of recruiters from a number of colleges in the United States.

In considering his next basketball move, Kaufman consulted with Laine Selwyn, an old mentor and coach from his early days at what Kaufman refers to as “the Marv Kessler Basketball Camp.”

Kessler was a well-known coach and instructor throughout the basketball world; he was best known as an instructor from the mid-1960s to the 1990s at the prominent Five-Star Basketball Camp in Honesdale, PA.

“Laine knew me from when I was a little kid!” reported Kaufman.
She went on to be a basketball star at University of Pittsburgh, as well as in the WNBA, with several European teams and with Maccabi Ashdod. She played in Israel for 10 years and encouraged Kaufman to consider joining her there.

“[Laine] said ‘should think about aliyah and playing basketball in Israel.’ So, after graduation, I went for it!”
Berdugo was again a big help.

“Yogev introduced me to Israel,” noted Kaufman, who met various Israeli players and coaches through the basketball camp. “He introduced me to Matan Siman-Tov, who became my agent.”
Siman-Tov is currently Avdija’s Israel agent.

“He tried to get me a deal, but they said they needed to see me play in real life,” noted Kaufman.

In 2014, Kaufman participated in a Birthright Israel trip.
“I had a great Birthright experience.”

He decided to stay in Israel to shop around his basketball skills. He practiced with a team in Ramat Hasharon, caught the attention of several Israel team owners, and the then-22-year-old was offered a contract for the 2014/15 season by Maccabi Hod Hasharon of the Israel National League.

“I made aliyah and bought a one-way flight! I had to have the mentality that I was not coming back [to the US].”

In Israel, Kaufman lived with his childhood friend from Florida, Nicolas “Nico” Olsak, a midfielder for the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team. Kaufman did not see much playing time that season which he notes “had its fair share of ups and downs.” The shooting guard acknowledges the style of play was different from what he was used to in the US and that he “needed time to adjust.”

Kaufman did not receive any offers at the end of the season to continue playing in Israel – “I didn’t want to go out like that,” – he recalls – and tried out with Elizur Ashkelon, where he received an offer to play for the 2015/16 season. However, the team experienced financial problems, and Kafuman’s playing career in Israel came to somewhat of an abrupt end.
Kaufman is very honest as he reflects on his Israel basketball careers.
“It was shaky. I did not have a lot of closure. It drove me to keep pursuing basketball somewhere else.”

Still, Kaufman loved the opportunity to play professional basketball and to play in Israel.

“Playing pro ball was a lifelong dream. Playing in Israel was super special. Tel Aviv is my favorite city in the world!”
While Kaufman hasn’t played professionally since then, he has creatively carved out an impressive niche and presence in every part of the basketball world – from the NBA to youth basketball.
At 23, he returned to Florida and began coaching a third-grade travel team. After five months in Boca Raton, he realized that coaching “wasn’t for me – I’ll coach my own kids one day!”

He moved to New York to work for Overtime, a startup described on its website as “a sports network for the next generation of fans. We bring you the content of the stars and personalities you want to see.”
Kaufman has worked his way up in four-and-a-half years with Overtime.
The work soon expanded from part time to full time and the company went from five workers to 100 workers with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Since the company started, it has raised $33 million dollars. NBA All-Stars, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have invested in Overtime.
Kaufman currently serves as Senior Manager, Social Strategy and Distribution. He has media credentials for the New York Knicks, covers the NBA All Star Weekend, and regularly meets with such NBA stars as Zion Williamson, Wade, James Harden and Antetokounmpo.

Kaufman attended Williamson’s last high school game and the state championships, played basketball with Wade at Chelsea Piers in New York, hung out with Harden and was invited by Nike to accompany Antetokounmpo for the launch of his sneaker in his hometown in Greece.

“It was so cool. He is such a down-to-earth guy and I met his brothers, who also play in the NBA.”

While working with NBA stars is glamorous, Kaufman still feels a special connection to Israel.

“I went from playing in Israel and just five years later to working in sports media and doing a feature story on Deni and Yam Madar.
Everything really came full circle for me at that moment. The mini-documentaries I produced ended up getting picked up by Israeli News outlets like Sport5 on TV in Israel. This really brought exposure to them and helped them grow on social media before they got drafted to the NBA.”
The hard-working Kaufman has a “side gig,” known as Better Bounce, a concept he first envisioned while playing basketball in Israel.

“I always had teammates and other basketball players asking me how I increase my vert[ical leap] and what I do to become more athletic and jump higher. I finally decided to monetize this in an effective way. Having everything online has allowed me to scale my expertise around the world to help as many athletes as possible.”

Kaufman describes Better Bounce as “a basketball lifestyle brand that specializes in making workout programs to help athletes improve their vert, overall athleticism and give them what they need to be successful on the basketball court.”

His videos have a tremendous following. On some, NBA players perform complex moves as Kaufman breaks them down and narrates over them so young players can work on mastering the moves on their own. More playful videos feature Kaufman in the air himself, like the one where he is vaulting over a woman.

“My fiancée lets me jump over her. This is how we built trust!”
The incredible numbers of viewers show just how popular and influential Kaufman is. He has had four videos in the past six months with over a million views each. His “stats” include: 85,400 Instagram followers with 1.5 Million views in the past month; 358,700 followers on TikTok, with his videos having been “liked” 14.3 million times
(By comparison, other Israeli and Jewish basketball players – many with very successful careers – lag behind Kaufman in terms of Instagram followers: Gal Mekel: 23k, Jordan Farmar: 120k, Deni Avdija: 190k, Omri Casspi: 252k, Amar’e Stoudemire: 526k and Yam Madar: 37k.)
Kaufman is more than a basketball entrepreneur and influencer – he is a role model and a mensch, appreciated by both kids and adults. Kaufman personally replies to all questions submitted to him from kids.

“I want to be a resource so they can be better at basketball.”
He also cares about emotional well-being.

“I talk about mental health, post about how much sleep I get, nutrition, meditation and good habits.”
And colleagues value him.

Danny Herz, long time director of Six Points Sports Academy, notes, “Mike is a special human being. In addition to his massive talent and his unmatched work ethic and drive, he is a great human being that is kind to everyone, appreciative of others, and unselfish to his core. I was fortunate to coach Mike back in the day, and he always made every team he was on better because not only was he a good player, he was a great teammate.”

Herz uses Better Bounce at his camp and says that “one of my favorite days at Six Points Sports Academy was when Mike came to visit. He brought his energy, his enthusiasm, his infectious smile, and his ability to entertain that day when he performed a series of slam dunks for our campers. Hundreds and hundreds of Jewish athletes cheered for him as he put on a show – and then inspired every camper to be the best versions of themselves with hard work and making good decisions.”

Berdugo, his childhood friend who hired him to work at his sports camp and opened doors for Kaufman in Israel, agrees.
“Mike took a talent, honed and mastered it, and became a world known dunker. He followed his dream and helps others do the same!”
Kaufman takes this role very seriously.

“Growing up, I didn’t know too many Jewish athletes who became professional athletes. I’d love to inspire the young generation to work hard and chase their dreams.”

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