An Open Letter To “My” Birthright Graduates

By Philip Rosen

I write this open letter with great love and concern. I was on the board of Birthright for many years, and vice chairman of the board for seven years. This is the first time I’m writing to the young people who were on one of these Birthright trips.

Since October 7, many of you have called me for advice. Many of you are deeply pained by what happened and want to know what you can do. After completing your Birthright trip, many of you feel a deep connection to Israel and Judaism they never felt before. And no matter how much time passes, that feeling remains deep and strong. 

Then there is the issue of the disinformation campaign the world media has launched against Israel, portraying the Jewish State as the “aggressor” in the war with Gaza and Hamas. Most of you are smart enough to see through this propaganda campaign as pure garbage. On October 7, the Palestinians in Gaza shot thousands of rockets into Israel then proceeded to invade the country with thousands of terrorists led by Hamas, flooding Israeli communities and the Nova music festival, breaking through fences, neutralizing cameras and other monitoring equipment, and massacring civilians. They announced that in light of their successful campaign that left 1,400 Israelis slaughtered and 250 taken prisoner, they would repeat October 7 every day until they conquered and destroyed Israel. This was a declaration of war.

In response, Israel launched a defensive war against Gaza and Hamas to prevent another massacre from ever occurring again. The media, aided by the Palestinians and their backers in Qatar, launched their own war against the Jewish state with an organized propaganda campaign to demonize Israel and turn world opinion against the Jewish state. The Palestinians decided that since they could not defeat Israel militarily, they would launch a media-war against the Jewish state, attacking their right to exist. The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and many other mainstream media outlets ignored or minimized the massacre against Israel and instead accused Israel of “genocide” and “starvation.” No other country in history that was so brutally attacked would respond by providing food and supplies to their enemies.

What can we do? We can continue to support our dear friends in the IDF and their families. We feel their pain; we feel the loss of life and injuries. We continue to make trips to Israel as we all know there is no safer country in the world. And we fight back against every attack of antisemitism by supporting the amazing and awesome Israeli soldiers. But above all, we express unity with fellow Jews, increase acts of kindness and Jewish observance, and be proud when we hear about the fantastic Israeli successes. Be proud of Israel, and be unapologetically Jewish and proud. n

Philip Rosen is the chair of the World Jewish Congress-American Section and Director Emeritus, Former Executive Officer, of the Birthright Israel Foundation.