Performance by Hadag Nahash (Credit: Jane Peimer)

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On August 20, eight hundred Russian-speaking young Jews from the Former Soviet Union came together and experienced Israel through Birthright Israel’s ‘Taglit on the Carmel’ event. The event brought together all Birthright groups from the former Soviet Union currently in Israel. For most Birthright Israel participants from the FSU, their trip marks not only their first visit to Israel, but also their first opportunity to discover Israeli culture and history firsthand.Participants who attended the events in Israel’s North enjoyed a full day of unique activities, including a street-food festival, Zumba classes, volleyball and ‘Matkot’ on the beach, and a colorful evening event.The celebration culminated with a traditional educational event in Binyamina hosted by Ilya Akselrod, with a special performance by the Israeli hip hop-funk group ‘Hadag Nahash’, a Russian-language premier of the popular viral song “Shevet Achim Ve Achayot – A Tribe of Brothers and Sisters” and a TED-style talk by Max Simanovsky, Israeli startup entrepreneur who made Aliyah to Israel from the Former Soviet Union.According to a recent study of the impact of Birthright Israel on Russian-speaking participants, Birthright Israel has positively affected participants’ Jewish identity and connections, expanded their Jewish social circles and made a substantial impact on the importance that participants placed on their Jewish identity.Ilia Salita, President and CEO of Genesis Philanthropy Group said, “Participation of Russian-speaking Jews in Birthright Israel has crucial importance for the development of Jewish identity. Genesis Philanthropy Group is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Birthright Israel in order to connect new generations of Russian-speaking Jews with the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.”The event is part of a comprehensive partnership between Birthright Israel, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and Genesis Philanthropy Group, intended to provide Russian-speaking participants with various enriching experiences while participating in Birthright Israel trips.Please read more about the study: The impact of Taglit-Birthright Israel on participants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Germany here