Dear Friends,

As President, it is my pleasure to thank you for your support of the Birthright Israel Foundation 2014 Gala Honoring Dan Och. We are delighted to have the opportunity to honor and celebrate Dan and his many significant contributions. Dan served as Chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation from 2008–2013 and was integral to the organization's astounding growth and achievements.

The Birthright Israel Foundation 2014 Gala is a unique opportunity to help us provide more young adults with the life-changing gift of a Birthright Israel experience. We believe that the experience of a trip to Israel is a building block of Jewish identity, and that by providing that gift to young Jews, we can strengthen bonds with the land and people of Israel and solidarity with Jewish communities worldwide. Since the program's inception in 1999, over 350,000 young Jewish adults from 64 countries have participated in the program, along with 65,000 Israeli participants. Birthright Israel is the largest Jewish education and engagement program in existence, and is on its way to becoming a "rite of passage" for young Jewish adults, as well as an entry point to organized Jewish life. With your help, we are transforming an entire generation, building a strong and proud Jewish future.

I would like to express my appreciation to our staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers whose hard work and dedication will make the evening extraordinary. We extend a special thank you to our Gala Chairs, Joanna and Jon Jacobson, Mimi and Barry Sternlicht, and Christine Hikawa and David Windreich.

We look forward to a successful and wonderful evening on March 31, 2014!

With appreciation,

David Fisher
President