Bragging Rights

Israel Outdoors in the News: At Israel Outdoors, we’re proud of our program — and we’re doubly proud of the accomplishments of our alumni!

We like to think Israel Outdoors attracts a self-selecting group of especially interesting people. Maybe it is no coincidence that a number of emerging artists, athletes, actors, and all around fascinating people have chosen Israel Outdoors through the years.

Discover who experienced their Gift with Israel Outdoors!

Israel Outdoors Catches a Rising Star, James Maslow

JUNE 2015

We were excited to host James Maslow on his first ever Israel trip. Best known for playing the role of James Diamond on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush (and being a member of the boy band with the same name), Maslow was also a celebrity contestant (and finalist) on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, season 18! He also does work with VH1 Save the Music, which is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring that music instruction is a core component to a complete education, giving children the tools and confidence to excel in academics and in life. Keep up the great work!

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Olympic Medalist Sasha Cohen visits Israel with Israel Outdoors

JUNE 2014

Alexandra “Sasha” Cohen visited Israel on Birthright Israel with Israel Outdoors, where she was known to her Birthright friends as Alex. They never suspected that she is an accomplished figure skater and Olympic silver medalist who was cheered on the ice by thousands.

“I have always wanted to come to Israel,” Cohen said about her Israel Outdoors experience. “It was a dream of mine for years. I promised myself that I would visit when I had time. My sister participated several years ago and she couldn’t stop talking about it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I believe that every Jew has to know his past in order to live his future.”

Cohen explained why she did not tell her fellow participants about her skating history, saying the trip was “an integral part of my beginning as a private individual, not an athlete.”

Cohen is now excelling in her international relations studies at Columbia University, works in finance at Morgan Stanley, and has a successful figure skating clothing line. To learn more about her experiences in Israel, read this newspaper article by Israel Hayom.

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Israel Outdoors Staff Alum’s Poem Goes Viral

NOVEMBER 2014

Andrew Lustig, an Israel Outdoors staff veteran who staffed a trip in February of 2013, has gained a lot of publicity after his poem I am Jewish went viral with nearly 300,000 views on YouTube. Recently, Andrew wowed the audience at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly held in Maryland. Watch his video here.

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Traded While Traveling on Israel Outdoors

NOVEMBER 2014

Jake Lemmerman came to Israel with Outdoors in December 2013. When the trip began, he was a pro baseball player with the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the time it was over, he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Jake was traded during his Birthright Israel trip! How did he find out about the trade? Twitter, of course! Although it was Jake’s first time in Israel, he had actually already played for Israel. Just months earlier, he played for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Qualifying Round. He hopes to do so again in the next WBC tournament. To learn more about Jake, check out the Israel Outdoors blog.

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Skeleton Racer Hopes to Represent Israel in Olympics

FEBRUARY 2011

Bradley Chalupski, professional Skeleton Racer, visited Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel trip with Israel Outdoors in February 2011. Bradley is currently working hard to qualify for the Olympics, where he hopes to represent Israel as a skeleton racer on the world stage. This year he qualified for the World Cup circuit. As a skeleton racer, Bradley goes head first on a sled down an ice chute at speeds approaching 80mph, and experiences forces up to 5g. We wish him all the luck in his quest, and we’re glad to be a part of his exciting journey!

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Ballerina Alumna Performs in Israel and Jordan

OCTOBER 2011

Ballet dancer, Maureya Lebowitz, who visited Israel for the first time in 2009 on a Birthright Israel trip with Israel Outdoors, returned in October 2010 to perform with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Lebowitz is the second soloist in the ballet company, which performed in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa as well as in Amman, Jordan as part of its 70th anniversary tour. The tour was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. Check out the full article.

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Olympic Medalist Travels with Israel Outdoors!

DECEMBER 2009

In December 2009, Birthright Israel celebrated its 200,000th participant since the program started in 1999. Who was this special participant? None other than Ben Wilder-Tobriner, the USA Olympic medalist from the Bejing Games. Israel Outdoors was honored to host Birthright Israel’s 200,000th  participant and was especially honored to have Ben on the trip. After his return Ben was interviewed by The New York Times regarding his experience on an Israel Outdoors trip. Check out the full article.

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“Sopranos” Star, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Joins Israel Outdoors Trip

JANUARY 2008

Participants on a January 2008 Israel Outdoors trip were pleasantly surprised to learn that one of their fellow travelers was Jamie Lynn Sigler, the actress who is most famous for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO mega-hit “The Sopranos.” Jamie decided to join an Israel Outdoors trip after a close friend raved about their experience, and encouraged Jamie to do the same. Good choice! What was it like having a Hollywood star on the trip?? For the most part, it was like every other trip. According to the group’s Israeli guide Hagai Gov, “The group bonded immediately, and everyone really connected to the experience.” Of course, there were some differences. When the Israeli press got wind that Jamie was in Israel on a Birthright Israel trip, the media went crazy…and the trip got a lot of press coverage in Israel where The Sopranos show is very popular. In other words, an already unique trip became even more special. Check out a YouTube video and a newspaper story about Jamie’s trip.

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Jewish NASCAR Driver, Jon Denning, on Israel Outdoors Trip

JANUARY 2008

Did you ever assume that NASCAR was not a Jewish sport? Think again! Meet Jon Denning, a rising NASCAR racer who took part in a Birthright Israel trip with Israel Outdoors in January 2008. Denning competes in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series and has won seven races in his NASCAR career. Asked about what the experience on an Israel Outdoors trip meant to him, Denning responded that the trip was inspirational and gave him a deeper sense of pride about his own Jewish identity, especially as a minority on the NASCAR circuit. Check out a newspaper story about Jon’s adventures in Israel with Israel Outdoors. From all of us at Israel Outdoors, good luck Jon!!

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