Birthright Cancels 42 August Trips Over COVID Quarantine

Birthright, which provides free 10-day trips to Israel for young Jews from the US and around the world, has canceled dozens of trips set to arrive this summer, after the Israeli government ordered a seven-day quarantine requirement for visitors from the US. The 42 canceled trips had been scheduled to arrive from August 11, the start of the quarantine requirement. No further Birthright trips will arrive in Israel this summer.

There are no trips scheduled for September because of the Jewish holidays. No decisions have yet been made on trips for October. The US Centers for Disease Control this week warned against travel to Israel due to the rise in cases of the coronavirus.

Birthright resumed trips to Israel in May after they were halted for 14 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some 3,900 young people have visited Israel with Birthright since the trips resumed.