Todd Grabarsky, a Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow, sometimes wanders around Washington Square Park in a camel costume. Although several factors contributed to the record number of students who signed up for this winter's Birthright trip, the enthusiastic advertisement may have helped, Grabarsky said.
Creative publicity stunts, along with word-of-mouth buzz, have led 40 Jewish students to participate in the Hillel-sponsored program, which provides free plane tickets to Israel and a guided tour of the state that includes visits to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and, of course, a camel ride.
"We did a lot of publicity, more than in the past," said Grabarsky, who coordinates student outreach at the Bronfman Center. "Students found out [about Birthright] through the camel costume," along with a series of promotional e-mails.
Grabarsky encourages students to learn more about the program. "A lot of people know about Birthright going into college," Grabarsky said. "There's already that brand name."
Indeed, it was the rave reviews of former attendees that swayed CAS freshman Maris Cohen to enroll.
"I know people who have gone and had good experiences," she said. "My roommate and I are going together; she really encouraged me to go."
Liana Grey is a staff writer. E-mail her at news@nyunews.com.
Be the first to comment on this article!