Draft:Gidi Mark

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Gidi Mark
Born	1956 (age 69–70) Israel
Occupation	Executive
Known for	CEO of Taglit-Birthright Israel
Spouse	Married
Children	3

Gidi Mark (born 1956) is an Israeli executive and former diplomat. He has served as the International Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Taglit-Birthright Israel since 2008.^[1]

Early life and education

Mark was born in Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael in Israel, grew up in Rekhasim, and attended the Hebrew Reali School of Haifa. He earned a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern studies and economics and a master's degree in the history of Islamic nations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He later completed an MBA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cadet training program.^[1]

Diplomatic career

Between 1982 and 1997, Mark served as a diplomat in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this period, he held diplomatic postings in Istanbul, Bonn, and New York. His responsibilities included public diplomacy and communications.^[2][3]

Taglit-Birthright Israel

Mark was the first employee of Birthright Israel, known in Hebrew as Taglit. He joined the planning stage of the organization as its COO upon its establishment in January 1998. He later held senior roles in marketing as trips began.^[4][5] In 2008, he was appointed International Chief Executive Officer.^[6]

During his tenure, the annual number of young Jewish adults visiting Israel increased from approximately 2,000 before the turn of the millennium to nearly 50,000 participants in the Taglit-Birthright program in 2018.^[7][8]

In 2025, the organization reached its 900,000th participant. Mark has stated a goal of reaching one million participants within two years.^[3][9]

Over the years, the program has expanded to include trips for participants with disabilities, internship tracks, and volunteer programs.^[10]

In 2011 Mark initiated the Birthright Israel Excel program, an idea that was introduced by Birthright Israel's co-founder, Michael Steinhardt.^[11]

Other public activities

Mark is also a member of the advisory board of the Global Jewry initiative, a worldwide network of Jewish organizations, and has contributed opinion pieces for media outlets such as Israel Hayom, Times of Israel, and The Forward.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Recognition

In 2018 and 2022, Mark was named one of The Jerusalem Post's list of the "50 Most Influential Jews".^[16][9]

In 2023, he was included in The Algemeiner's list of the "Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life".^[17]

Personal life

Mark is married to Hagit. He has three children and lives in Bat Yam.^[1]

References

External links

• A conversation with Gidi Mark, the man behind all those Birthright Israel trips. JNS
• Tablet Is Going to Israel. Tablet
• The Man Who Brings 36,000 Americans To Israel Every Year (Gidi Mark). Two Nice Jewish Boys
• Interview with Gidi Mark. Start-Up Nation Voices