Birthright Israel Hosts 350 Executives for Three-Day Tel Aviv Summit

Birthright Israel will hold its first Taglit Global Business Summit from November 1 to 3 at the Hilton Tel Aviv. The event, titled "Shaping Our Future Together," is designed to connect international business leaders with Israeli executives and entrepreneurs.

Organizers expect more than 350 attendees. Over 100 participants are traveling from more than 15 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. These guests will meet with local business figures to discuss innovation, philanthropy, and economic strategy.

The opening ceremony on November 1 will be a Gala Evening of Recognition. President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to speak at the event. The program will honor long-standing supporters of the organization, including Dr. Miriam Adelson. Meir Shamir, chairman of the Israeli Board of Donors, and Josh Nash, international chairman of Birthright Israel, will also attend. Representatives from NVIDIA, Wiz, Elbit Systems, El Al, and monday.com are expected to be present.

The main conference takes place on November 2. Speakers include Sir Ronald Cohen, a pioneer of impact investing and co-founder of Apax Partners. Eyal Waldman, founder of Mellanox, and Yinon Costica, co-founder of Wiz, are also on the list. Sean Rad, founder of Tinder, will speak as a Birthright alumnus. Other scheduled speakers include Amit Krig, NVIDIA's Israel site leader, and former Mossad director Yossi Cohen.

The agenda features alumni who have become prominent in business and public life. Avinatan Or, an NVIDIA engineer, will participate. Hamas abducted Or from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. He was released after 738 days in captivity. Moran Samuel, an Israeli Paralympic basketball player and world champion rower, is also scheduled to appear.

Gidi Mark, Global CEO of Birthright Israel, described the summit as a natural extension of the organization's mission. "At this moment, bringing global leaders to Israel is itself a powerful statement of confidence in its future," he said. Ethy Levy, Vice President of Global Resource Development and Partnerships, noted that a conversation at the event "could become a business partnership, a philanthropic initiative, or an investment in Israel's next generation."

On November 3, attendees will visit Israeli companies and innovation centers. They will also tour communities engaged in recovery and rebuilding. Participants can volunteer alongside current Birthright Israel attendees. The summit builds on the group's existing Business Forum, which includes nearly 60 Israeli companies.

Since 1999, nearly one million young Jewish adults from 70 countries have participated in Birthright Israel programs. The organization estimates its activities have added about $2.6 billion to the Israeli economy over 26 years. A March 2026 study by Brandeis University found that among politically liberal young Jews, connection to Israel rose 60% among Birthright participants. For applicants who did not take part, that connection fell 26%.