The Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation has awarded a $60 million grant over three years to expand a program that sends teens to Israel to learn more about the nation and connect with their Jewish heritage.
RootOne, launched in 2020 by the Jewish Education Project, helps lower the costs of travel to Israel and provides pre- and post-trip learning experiences.
So far this summer, more than 4,500 teens have participated in RootOne trips that are run by more than 20 youth organizations and summer camps, including several with local chapters in Georgia.
“This grant is our direct response to the studies saying teens’ connection to Israel is waning, or that Jewish identity among youth has declined,” Bernie Marcus, chairman of the Marcus Foundation, said in a press release. “Especially as antisemitism on campuses and across the globe increases, we must develop a generation of proud Jews connected to Israel and the Jewish people. RootOne is designed to do exactly this. We hope other funders join our efforts to remake teen Israel travel at this critical time.”
RootOne plans to increase teen travel to Israel by nearly 40% per year, with more than 10,000 Jewish teens expected to make the trip with RootOne in summer 2025 and more than 20,000 in 2030.
Marcus, a co-founder of Home Depot, has been a major supporter of nonprofits that work in the areas of mental health, food sustainability, education and Jewish programs. Other beneficiaries of the Marcus Foundation include the Georgia Aquarium and the Shepherd Center.
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