Journeys to Israel:
The impact of longer-term programs upon
Jewish Engagement & Israel Attachment
Learning from Taglit-Birthright Israel:
An Academic Symposium
May 23-24, 2012
Brandeis University
Prof. Steven M. Cohen,  Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner
Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz
 Research Success Technologies
Key Research Questions
• To what extent, how, & for whom does Masa Israel participation affect Jewish involvement and Israel attachment? • How do different experiences affect levels of Israel engagement, Jewish leadership, and Jewish involvement? • What patterns are linked with different types of Israel program participation, short‐term and long‐term? That is, how do these 3 groups differ? • One‐time participants on short‐term Israel programs
• Those who returned to Israel on short‐term trips
• Those who return on Masa Israel experiences
Contribution of Israel Programs Steven M. Cohen and Ezra Kopelowitz
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Comparison groups • Our analysis focuses on five distinct groups:
• Total N = 11,161 American respondents (both unweighted and weighted)
• “One short‐term program”: Birthright alumni and other short term program participants who did not return to Israel (7392 respondents or 66% of the total)
• “Short‐term repeat”: Birthright alumni and other short term program participants returned for a 0‐4 months (1005 respondents, 9% of total)
• “Short‐term + Masa”: Birthright alumni and other short term program participants who returned for 5 + months on a Masa Israel program (1003 respondents, 9%)
• “Masa Israel only, non‐Orthodox”: Raised other than Orthodox & never went on Birthright (1026, 9%)
• “Masa Israel only & Orthodox”: Raised Orthodox & never went on Birthright (735 respondents, 7%)
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Childhood socialization %
3
Orthodox raised
0
7
9
100
72
Both parents Jewish
Jewish day school
Jewish overnight camp
34
35
38
84
81
88
98
One short term
program
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
52
43
47
59
98
75
Masa non‐Orthodox
87
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Teen & college years
%
High school, most friends
Jewish
37
43
44
43
47
54
High school, Jewish youth
group
Teen, Monthly prayer services
College, campus Jewish
activity
College, Jewish or Israel
studies
58
19
26
34
41
38
97
One short term
program
Short term repeat
72
77
51
89
54
61
62
64
56
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
68
73
66
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Feelings of Israel Attachment
%
69
Caring about Israel an important part of
my being a Jew
62
Frequently talk about Israel with Jewish
friends
61
Destruction of Israel would be a great
personal tragedy
35
Excited always by Israel
33
Feel attached to Israel
85
85
86
94
Short term + Masa
85
91
93
96
Contribution of Israel Programs Steven M. Cohen and Ezra Kopelowitz
Masa non‐
Orthodox
Masa Orthodox
79
83
83
94
51
49
54
65
64
One short term
program
Short term repeat
77
78
81
The percentage shows those who picked the highest response ‐ i.e. "most excited" on a four point scale.
6
Israel related actions in past year
%
49
Checked out several websites
having to do with Israel
50
Listened a few times or more
to any kind of Israeli music
Regularly read Israeli
newspapers on the Internet
86
86
84
74
86
27
Went to classes, lectures, or
study groups related to Israel
Participate in political activity
having to do with Israel
73
17
13
53
72
77
80
93
94
One short term
program
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
36
50
53
47
36
43
Masa Orthodox
61
56
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Aliya
%
30
53
Given serious thought to
making aliya in past year
67
70
One short term program
82
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
1
Masa Orthodox
3
Aliya, live in Israel now (23
years or older)
18
16
17
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Dating and Marriage
%
18
43
52
53
Important to date Jews*
26
Dated only Jewish in past 12
months
One short term program
92
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
43
57
63
Masa non‐Orthodox
92
Masa Orthodox
31
Important to marry a Jew*
58
66
71
50
% in‐married
70
97
91
92
100
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The percentage shows those who picked the highest response ‐ i.e. "most important" on a four point scale.
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Priority of being Jewish
%
81
90
92
92
97
Belonging to Jewish People
One short term program
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
54
Important to raise kids as Jews
53
Importance of being Jewish
46
Want to have Jewish friends
77
82
83
76
79
82
64
70
73
Masa Orthodox
97
95
The percentage shows those who picked the highest response ‐ i.e. "most important" on a four point scale.
94
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Jewish activities
%
61
Participated in a Shabbat dinners at least a
few times during the year
49
Checked out several Jewish‐oriented
websites on the Internet
37
Seen two or more movies with a Jewish
orientation
Went to any classes, lectures, or study
groups related to Jewish issues
72
28
27
48
91
94
99
82
84
88
One short term program
48
Read any Jewish books, magazines, or
newspapers
Done any volunteer work with a Jewish
group
81
70
87
90
94
53
64
73
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
62
68
58
48
Short term repeat
Masa Orthodox
83
71
77
80
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Inclination to Jewish Leadership
%
8
25
Very important to take a Jewish
leadership role
34
40
One short term program
49
Short term repeat
Short term + Masa
Masa non‐Orthodox
12
Given serious thought to
pursuing a Jewish professional
career in the past year
Masa Orthodox
26
45
46
46
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Conclusions
•
The apparent impact of Masa Israel is profound in ALL areas of Israel‐
related and Jewish engagement, with especially large effects upon Israel‐
related activities, in‐marriage, Jewish leadership and aliya.
•
The combination of short‐term program + the return Israel trip work together to increase Israel attachment, Jewish involvement and Jewish leadership
– Short‐term programs are especially effective when they lead to a return trip to Israel, the impact of which is greater for those who return on Masa Israel programs.
– After following the short term program + Masa Israel pathway, Jews with relatively low levels of Jewish socialization, resemble those with strong Jewish upbringings in terms of Jewish and Israel involvement.
•
Short‐term programs through Birthright are critical for recruiting Jews with Jewish backgrounds who then become candidates for a return trip.
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Appendix: Analysis of the Birthright sub‐sample
•
•
On all available measures, we find that Birthright respondents in our sample resemble the larger population of Birthright alumni as reported in studies conducted by the Cohen Center, Brandeis University.
The comparisons below with other studies of Birthright alumni are drawn with those Birthright alumni who responded to the Masa Israel sponsored survey who participated in Birthright from 2006 through 2008, broken down as follows: In what year did you go on Birthright?
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
2006
940
22.9
22.9
2007
1007
24.6
24.6
2008
2149
52.5
52.5
Total
4096
100.0
100.0
As the tables below indicate, there are only minor differences between the Masa Israel and Birthright research respondents. The Birthright respondents to the Masa Israel sponsored research do represent the larger alumni population
Background factors
Denomination
Orthodox
Conservative
Reform
Other/Just
Jewish/Reconstructionist
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
6%
26%
41%
27%
Birthright Sponsored Research
Winter
2006-07
5%
28%
41%
26%
Summer
2007
4%
27%
39%
31%
Winter
2007-08
3%
25%
43%
29%
Summer
2008
3%
22%
43%
32%
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Appendix: Jewish Education
Birthright: Most Intense Type of Jewish Education Received by Cohort, grades 1‐8.
Masa Israel research question: Main type of Jewish schooling received between age 6 and 13.
None
Once a week
Several times a week
Full time/Day School
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
18%
23%
46%
13%
Birthright Sponsored Research
Winter
2006-07
17%
21%
40%
22%
Summer
2007
20%
20%
38%
22%
Winter
2007-08
22%
21%
41%
16%
Summer
2008
22%
21%
42%
15%
Parent In‐Marriage
In-marriage
(born or converted
Jewish)
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
76%
Birthright Sponsored Research
Winter
2006-07
82%
Summer
2007
82%
Winter
2007-08
77%
Summer
2008
78%
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Appendix: Trip experience
A life changing experience
•
•
BRI research In the winter 2007‐08 survey, 50% of respondents reported that Taglit‐Birthright Israel felt “very much” like a life‐changing experience.
Masa Israel research
44% reported that Taglit‐Birthright Israel felt “very much” like a life‐changing experience.
Very much a fun
vacation
Very much a
Jewish group
experience
Very much a
journey to my
Jewish roots
Very much a
religious
pilgramage
Not at all a
disapointment
63%
54%
53%
48%
69%
71%
70%
60%
52%
57%
61%
51%
21%
17%
16%
26%
Masa sponored
research.
Participated
2006‐8
BRI research.
Winter 2006‐07
84%
88%
89%
86%
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Appendix: Israel‐related and Jewish identity items
Attachment to Israel
BRI research: Very much connected to Israel
Masa Israel research: How emotionally attached to Israel are you? (very attached)
Very attached
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
45%
Birthright Sponsored Research
Winter
2006-07
57%
Summer
2007
60%
Winter
2007-08
48%
Summer
2008
n/a
Confidence in describing current situation in Israel
Masa participants appear with higher scores at the weak (“not at all”) and strong (“very much”) ends. The difference is likely due to the lapse of time since the BRI trip for those participating in the Masa sponsored research. In comparison to a survey carried out immediately after the trip, it is reasonable to expect that BRI alumni will feel less confident two years later. In contrast, those who have greater confidence, have for the most part since returned to Israel and continued to intensify their engagement with Israel. Not at all
A little bit
Somewhat
Very much
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
11
33
35
20
Birthright Sponsored Research
Winter
2006-07
Summer
2007
4
31
53
12
Winter
2007-08
6
37
47
10
Summer
2008
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
5
35
49
10
For the following, Orthodox are excluded
Importance of Jewish family
Birthright Sponsored Research
Masa Israel
Sponsored
Research
Participated
2006-8
Winter
2006-07
Summer
2007
Winter
2007-08
Summer
2008
Very important to marry
Jewish
37%
24%
33%
21%
n/a
Very important to raise
children Jewish
60%
70%
71%
60%
n/a
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