Jewish Nonprofit Continues Israel Trips Despite Fighting
August 4, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
Taglit-Birthright Israel has maintained its mission of sending mostly American Jewish teens on journeys to Israel this summer despite the Gaza conflict, writes The New York Times.
The charity, which pays for the 10-day educational trips organized annually from May to September, has seen some 3,000 of an anticipated 31,000 participants cancel this season, a decline consistent with past outbreaks of Middle East violence, a Birthright spokeswoman said. The organization has never canceled a trip since it started the program 15 years ago.
Birthright said it works closely with Israeli officials to minimize risks to visiting teens and travel groups this summer have avoided dangerous parts of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, cities that have been subjected to Hamas rocket fire.
