Birthright Israel Alumni answer the call, “Ah-lo!”

FJP

Birthright Israel, the program that sends Jews aged 18-26 on an all expense paid, ten-day booze-cruise to Israel, has its share of critics. Many say that the organization’s aim, as stated on its website, that alumni “diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world," is an unjustified and unproven assumption. According to the website www.assume.com “an assumption is when a person makes an ass out of u and me.”

“There is little chance that a long-term relationship will develop and be sustained between the program’s alumni, Israel and the Jewish communities in the Diaspora,” says Samuel Freedman, a Columbia University journalism professor and author of Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry. Freedman added that his personal feeling is that the millions of dollars used to fund Birthright would be better invested in providing education, healthcare, housing or other social services to the poverty stricken members of the Jewish community – as opposed to free hook-up tours to the youth of its more wealthy members.

Responding to the program’s critics, Charles Bronfman offers that it is already possible to see the positive results of Birthright Israel. “While it is true that not all of our alumni return to fulfill their potential as the voices of truth and warriors of Zionist myth, it is unrealistic to expect a total success rate,” says the Jewish philanthropist who co-founded Birthright Israel, along with fellow Elder of Zion Michael Steindhart.

Bronfman notes that the program has not existed long enough for a serious study of long term trends. The first planeload of potential Jewish propagandists was sent to the ancient Jewish homeland a decade ago. “However, in the short-term, we are seeing some very encouraging developments,” Bronfman excitedly claimed. “Of particular note, an overwhelming 73% of our alumni answer their cellular phones by saying ‘ah-lo.’ This use of Israeli slang is highly encouraging," he added, noting that he also answers his own phone with this perverted version of the word ‘hello.’

Elaborating upon the trend’s meaning Bronfman offered, “You have to remember that we’re talking about a relatively well-off sector of the Jewish population. As university students, just about each and every one of our alumni has a cell phone and will answer that phone about 10 to 15 times a day. Each time that happens, our alumni is making a reference to Israel. That's very powerful."

Freedman remains unconvinced and somewhat infuriated, “Answering your phone with ‘ah-lo’ is hardly a valid reference to Israel or Judaism, and actually it's just plain annoying. In fact, what we’re dealing with isn’t even a passive phenomenon because actual harm is being done. In most instances, the use of this pseudo-word pisses off anyone within earshot. I have even heard of some instances where various items including shoes and pennies were thrown at the person uttering this very stupid word.” Freedman elaborates that, “what we’re dealing with here is nascent anti-Semitism and that’s fucked up.”