Project Interchange mourns the loss of its founder, Debra Berger

Debra J. Berger passed away on September 1, 2010.

Berger, a resident of Rockville, MD, founded Project Interchange in 1982 out of a tremendous desire to inform the American public about Israel. That mission, she reasoned, could be best realized through educational visits for groups of highly influential leaders, who upon returning home could share their perspectives with vast audiences, thus shaping public opinion on Israel.

Without compensation, Berger worked tirelessly to develop Project Interchange, and in 1983, she sent off a delegation of congressional staff from the United States, marking Project Interchange’s inaugural program. Operating first from her home, and then, through the generosity of friends, from an office in Washington D.C., Berger turned Project Interchange into a robust and effective educational institution.

In 1992, Project Interchange became an institute of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and soon after, international leaders were added to its roster of participants. AJC Executive Director David Harris recalls: “Debra Berger was a visionary. She started Project Interchange from scratch. Her goal was to introduce the Israel she loved to leading American figures. She succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. One day, she called me and proposed a merger between Project Interchange and AJC. She wanted to ensure a permanent home for the agency she created. We were thrilled. I’ve often called the merger a marriage made in heaven. Later, Debra suffered from a prolonged and debilitating illness, but her courage, strength and determination inspired everyone around her. We will miss Debra tremendously, but through Project Interchange, now an integral part of AJC, her legacy will live on and her noble goal of making friends for Israel will indeed continue.”

Since its founding by Debra Berger in 1982, Project Interchange has brought over 5,000 leaders to Israel from more than 60 countries for week-long educational visits. That, at this very moment, a delegation from the United States is in Israel with Project Interchange serves as a powerful testament to Berger’s remarkable vision and lasting impact.

The board, staff, and alumni of Project Interchange, along with AJC, join Debra’s husband, Paul, and the entire Berger family in mourning Debra. May her memory be a blessing.