Birthright Israel is hinging a major fund-raising push on a new study that says the program, which sends young Jews on free 10-day trips to Israel, has a major impact on Jewish continuity.
New report of alumni from four key cities shows that connection to Israel and the Jewish community enhanced by their trip does not translate into ongoing Jewish involvement.
In further signs that the deepening recession is having a major impact on Jewish institutions of higher education, two major schools announced tuition freezes and budget cuts, and Brandeis University is taking the highly unusual step of selling off its prized contemporary art collection.