By Cheyene Miller

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UK welcomed author and Vanderbilt University professor Shaul Kelner to the UK Athletic Association Auditorium in William T. Young Library Monday evening to discuss current connections that young American Jews have to Israel.

The speech was part of the College of Arts & Sciences’ Passport to the World Program, with this year’s focus being the “Year of the Middle East.”

Kelner pointed out that American Jews are by and large not descendants of migrants from Israel, “and yet American Jews look to Israel very commonly, as a symbolic homeland.”

Kelner’s research, which is the basis of his book “Pilgrimage In A Tourist Age: The Case of Birthright Israel and the Shaping of Jewish Identity,” focuses on how tourism creates connections between Israel and the diaspora community.

Birthright Israel began in 1999 as a way to democratize the journey of young Jews to Israel according to Kelner.  Over 400,000 Jews mostly from North America ages 18-26 have since benefited from getting a free 10-day trip to their cultural homeland.

The organization began when Jewish philanthropists in the U.S. and Canada became concerned that younger generations would no longer carry on certain Jewish traditions.

Jewish community leaders tried to curb this by “investing a lot of money primarily in educational institutions,” according to Kelner.

“The largest investment was made in educational travel programs to Israel,” said Kelner, who noted that in the decades after Israel’s formation, studies showed that those who went on the program returned with a stronger sense of Jewish identity and became more involved in the Jewish community.

Kelner said that in the 1990’s, Jewish philanthropists decided that the number of young Jews participating in the travel programs was too small.

“They essentially steamrolled both the Jewish Federation System, and the Israeli government to get on board and fund this program,” Kelner said.

Kelner spoke about how tourism has been used to maintain a cultural identity for young American Jews.

“Tourism takes people out of their daily environments,” Kelner said.  “We’re actively looking to try and make meaning.”

Kelner also said that when any American goes to the place of their ancestors, they are usually still seen as Americans.

“There’s a language barrier, there’s a culture barrier — there’s a lot of things you have to overcome,” said biology and psychology sophomore Torie Osborne in regard to traveling to other countries.

English sophomore Rachel Dixon enjoyed the presentation’s many examinations.

“I thought it was a really good example of a new way to look at rhetoric,” Dixon said.  “I thought it was really interesting.”