The more than 500 fellows who attended the Birthright Israel Excel Summit in Manhattan are “living in a time when Jews have the State of Israel, global networks and influence that previous generations could not imagine,” Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, businessman and philanthropist, told the group.
“We need all of you. We need your gifts, your idealism, your values, your passion and your hard work,” he said at the summit. “We need your refusal to accept a status quo where hatred is normalized.”
“I believe in you,” Kraft told the attendees, who came from 18 countries. The tabernacle, mishkan, of “our time that needs to be built and rebuilt is a society of grace, tolerance and love,” he added.
Idit Rubin, executive director of Birthright Israel Excel, stated that the “past two years have been an incredibly challenging time for my family, for the State of Israel and for the entire Jewish world.” But the Excel community has “given us tremendous hope,” Rubin said.
Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of Meta, the Facebook parent company, also addressed attendees, as did former State Department and National Security Council officials.
