Sixty students worldwide graduate Birthright Excel Fellowship summer program

The 2022 cohort (40 from the U.S.) to enter lifelong global community

TEL AVIV (August 15, 2022) – After 10 intensive weeks in Israel, 60 extraordinary college students from around the world and 60 peers from Israel graduated Birthright Israel Excel 2022 Fellowship program in August. The graduation event of this prestigious fellowship in business and technology — a program that began 12 years ago — took place at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, in Tel Aviv. The event’s main speaker was Ziv Aviram, the president, CEO and co-founder of OrCam Technologies Ltd.

Forty of the graduates came from the United States, while 20 were from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Mexico, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. Thirteen were visiting Israel for the first time.

Since 2011, the Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship has cultivated the next generation of Jewish business leaders. Each year, the fellowship carefully selects top students from hundreds of applicants for summer internships with leading business and tech companies in Tel Aviv.

This year’s cohort features an equal number of women and men and the most first-time visitors to Israel. Their internships were in such areas as environmental sustainability, software development, consulting, finance, venture capital, engineering, marketing, cybertech, biotech, business development and startup development.

Photo Credit: Or Doga

The Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship begins with a summer internship across a wide spectrum of business and tech roles featuring hands-on work experience during the Israeli workweek, Sunday through Thursday. To provide further immersion into Israeli society, Excel has created an evening speaker series featuring fascinating changemakers across Israeli society, from business leaders such as the Senior Managing Director and Head of the Tel Aviv office of Blackstone, Yifat Oron, to government leaders such as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to leading journalists and many others.

“A fascinating aspect of the program is Israeli high tech and business being so involved. They understand the importance of investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Idit Rubin, executive director of Birthright Israel Excel. “Most of the mentors, who have accompanied us from the beginning of the program, see the fellowship as a Zionist and strategic endeavor that connects future business leaders of the world to Israel’s economy. More than 100 senior officials in Israeli high tech and innovation participated and spent time with Birthright Israel Excel participants to equip them with the right tools to lead successful startup companies.”

A core component is the one-on-one pairing between each Excel Fellow and an Israeli Fellow, enabling the international students to acclimate quickly to the local culture and see the country through a more authentic lens than as typical tourists. Many peer-to-peer relationships grow into long-term friendships. Some have invested in each other’s business ventures.

Birthright Israel Excel fellows enjoy free time to explore Israel with their peers, and three weekend trips as a group bring them throughout the country: the north, typically including the Golan Heights, a winery tour and a rafting trip down the Jordan River; Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and the Machne Yehuda outdoor market; and the south, for a desert trek and a mud bath in the Dead Sea.

After their return home, the Excel Fellows enter a network that provides resources for professional and personal development, Israel engagement and encouraging them as philanthropists.

Birthright Israel Excel Fellows have landed positions at top-tier companies, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Bain & Company and Google. Others have developed strategic partnerships with Israeli companies and started their own companies, often hiring other fellows.

“Two-plus years after the pandemic started, we are experiencing a sense of renewal by opening a new chapter in what is considered the most prestigious program in the Jewish world today,” Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel, said at the event. “With success, talent and luck comes responsibility. Our common North Star is Jewish values. I am sure that when you return home, you will not forget the inspiring time you spent here in Israel.”

Birthright Israel is a program that, since 1999, has brought more than 800,000 young Jewish adults on 10-day visits to Israel to introduce them to the country’s ancient roots and modern wonders. If accepted to the Excel Fellowship, students are encouraged to register for a Birthright Israel 10-day trip right before starting Excel.

About Birthright Israel

Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world that offers multiple short- and mid-length programs in Israel for Jewish young adults, including the fl agship 10-day free trip, Onward Israel and the prestigious Birthright Excel Fellowship. Birthright Israel has a steadfast partnership with the government of Israel, donors and Jewish communities from around the world.