NEW YORK, August 30 - Last year`s inaugural “Israel. I Care. And I`m Going.” Pledge Campaign raised the bar for anticipated tourism to Israel. This year, the Israel Ministry of Tourism intends to break its own record. A grand total of 1,246 synagogues representing 44 states (including Hawaii) and six Canadian provinces participated in the 2003 pledge campaign. More Jews from North America visited Israel over the course of 2003 than in any previous year, a sure sign that tourism is stronger than ever.

In an effort to recruit an unprecedented 1.4 million visitors over the course of 2004, the Ministry kicked off the year 5764 during the 2003 High Holiday season by distributing pledge cards in synagogues nationwide. More than 78 percent of participating synagogues that responded to a recent mailing not only said that they planned to visit Israel in 2004, but also indicated a specific time frame for when the visit would take place. This year, members of synagogues across America and Canada will receive “Save the Date” cards in the mail during the High Holidays, asking them to take a look at their calendar and decide when they will be visiting Israel over the course of the year.

“You make all the difference in the world when you make a concrete decision to visit Israel,” said Rami Levi, Israel`s Tourism Ambassador to North and South America. “By visiting, you strengthen morale, contribute to the economy, and show your support for the continuity of Israel. Sit down with your family, your rabbi, your congregation, and plan a trip of a lifetime, a trip you will never forget.”

Last year, in a special demonstration of unity, leaders of the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements joined the leaders of the Conference of Presidents and the Ministry of Tourism to announce this national effort. The campaign was strengthened by unprecedented inter-denominational cooperation, as rabbis from across the Jewish spectrum passionately rallied the support of their congregations to visit Israel. Through July of this year, Israel has seen a staggering 58% increase over last year`s figures for the same time period, with 821,800 tourists traveling to Israel. These numbers are due in no small part to the remarkable individual and group initiatives to visit Israel that have emerged from the inaugural Pledge Campaign.

To get involved in the “Israel. I Care. And I`m Going.” Campaign, visit www.goisrael.com/savethedate, and mark your calendar to visit in 2004

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 12th, 2004 and is filed under action.