Young Israelis most famously perform their duty to their country by serving in the Israel Defense Forces — three years for males and two for females.
Another way Israelis can contribute to the strength and well-being of Israel and Israelis, according to several newly-arrived young Israelis in Milwaukee and Madison, is to go abroad and work with Diaspora Jews.
They are uniquely equipped to provide those Jews with a more authentic picture of Israel than those shown in the news media and to build personal relationships.
That is the consensus of the latest group of young Israeli emissaries who recently came to Milwaukee and Madison for a year or more of service in Wisconsin.
There are four young emissaries here for a year through two different Israeli programs. They will work in Milwaukee Jewish pre-schools, day schools and religious schools and with youth groups.
The Academy (Hillel) is also hosting an Israeli rabbi and his wife as teachers.
And Madison is home to a young shaliach from the Israeli government, who just arrived for a two-year assignment, replacing Diklah Cohen, who departed at the end of July.
Shin Shinim
Maor Edri and Einav Nahum are serving as “shin shinim” through the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Young Emissary Program and the combined efforts of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Israel Center, Milwaukee Jewish Day School and the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
Both are residents of the Sovev Kinneret, Milwaukee’s Partnership 2000 region in Israel. Since their Aug. 17 arrival, they are both being home-housed in Fox Point.
Maor Edri
Age: 18
Hometown: Kfar Tavor
Where you can see him: Teaching at MJDS and at the religious schools at Congregations Beth Israel and Shalom. Also at the JCC, in the gym or the basketball court.
Why he chose to become a shaliach/emissary: Because I think it’s important to do a year of service and to volunteer for my country…. This kind of service is very attractive to me because I’m interested in learning about Jewish life outside of Israel and to bring “my Israel” to the people here, making the connection stronger between Israel and the community in Milwaukee.
His goals for the next year: To take part in Jewish community life here, to meet a lot of new people, to build new relationships, and to enjoy my service.
Hobbies: I love to play basketball and the guitar.
What I would like the community to know about me: I’m very happy to be here and I’m here for you anytime.
Einav Nahum
Age: 18
Hometown: Poriya Ilit
Where you can see her: Teaching at the JCC’s Gan Ami preschool and kindergarten and at the religious schools at Congregations Sinai and Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun.
Why she chose to become a shlichah/emissary: Because I am interested in seeing the differences between the Jews in Milwaukee and in Israel, and I want to have the chance to build a strong and meaningful connection between Milwaukee’s Jews and Israel and the people there.
Her goals for the next year: To meet the whole community and to build a lot of relationships with people from the community. I want to be successful with the kids I teach, and I want them to know some Hebrew by the time I have to go. I want to bring Israel to Milwaukee!
Hobbies: I love to dance, and have been dancing for 13 years already.
What I would like the community to know about me: I’m always available for everything and I really want to get to know every one of them. I wish us to have a wonderful and memorable year, in which we all learn from one another.
Four at The Academy
The Academy (Hillel) is hosting four shlichim this year, two teenagers and a husband-wife teaching team.
Tzipora Silverman and Bracha Stein are in their second year as National Service volunteers through the Bat Ami program, which fulfills their required military service.
Both girls have at least one parent who was born in the United States and made aliyah as a teenager or adult. Both girls are living with a family in Glendale. In addition to their work at the school, Silverman and Stein will be working with the B’nai Akiva, religious Zionist youth group.
Yirat and Rabbi Avraham Saadia plan to be in Milwaukee for three years. They arrived three weeks ago with their three children, a 7-year-old son, and two daughters, 5 and 8 months.
Tzipora Silverman
Age: 19
Hometown: Elazar, a community in Gush Etzion
Where you can see her: At The Academy (Hillel), where she teaches about Israel; or where she prays, at Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah.
Why I chose to become a shlichah/emissary: To bring the light of Israel and Judaism [to the Milwaukee community] and to work with kids.
Her goals for the next year: To help the kids to know more about Israel and appreciate it more. To show it’s our place and it’s a fun place and to teach Hebrew.
Hobbies: In Israel I love to hike, and I enjoy reading, art and biking.
What I would like the community to know about me: I am allergic to nuts. It seems the word has not gotten out to the community.
Bracha Stein
Age: 19
Hometown: Modi’in
Where you can see her: At The Academy, where she teaches about Israel; or where she prays, at ASKT.
Why I chose to become a shlichah/emissary: So much about Israel is not clear abroad, so I want to take it upon myself to teach that Israel is the homeland of the Jews, the land that G-d gave us. It’s scary to me that there is no hasbara (advocacy) for Israel [in Europe and the U.S.]
Her goals for the next year: To help people not to take Israel for granted and not to [view Israel] only from what they see on T.V. I want them to know it is safe [to go to Israel].
Hobbies: I am interested in photography, graphic arts and movie editing.
What I would like the community to know about me: I feel so free in Israel, no matter what is going on.
Yirat and Rabbi Avraham Saadia
Ages: 29 and 31, respectively
Hometown: Kiryat Arba, for the past three years. We spent the previous three years in Ukraine.
Where you can see them: At The Academy where they both teach Hebrew, Torah, and Judaism.
Why they chose to become shlichim/ emissaries: Because we believe that it’s very important for Jewish children to learn about Israel and Judaism.
Their goals for the next year: We want to transmit Jewish life. We can bring a lot of “Israeliness,” a personal example and, hopefully, happiness.
Hobbies: We don’t have much free time but when we do we enjoy communicating with friends and family in Israel, by e-mail and telephone.
Home in Madison
Madison’s new young emissary, its third, is Shlomi Nahumson. After arriving in the U.S. last month, he attended a camp reunion for the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Harlam in Pennsylvania, where he worked for three summers as a shaliach.
Nahumson said he has received a warm welcome where the community has “host[ed] me in their homes every single day of my first month, greeting me on any occasion and [making] me feel the way I do now, after only a bit more than a month, that [this is my] home away from home.”
Shlomi Nahumson
Age: 28
Hometown: Herzliya.
Why I chose to become a shaliach/emissary: On my many journeys outside of Israel, I have always found myself being an “informal emissary” for Israel, whether among Jewish communities or among non-Jews (After my military service I worked as a ship security officer on a Greek cruise ship), and this was always something I enjoyed very much doing.
My connection to the land [of Israel] and its people is probably among the strongest parts of my personal identity as a Jew, and sharing this with others is something I always dreamt of doing.
Where you can see him: Almost all over Madison; teaching in kindergarten, in synagogue religious schools, in the Midrasha, (Hebrew high school) as well as at Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin, Madison Jewish Community Council events, and Chug Ivrit. I will be on the community mission to Israel next March.
Your goals for the next year: To expose as many people as possible in the Madison community to the ways Israel celebrates life in a Jewish, democratic state, despite the challenges the country faces.
I want the members of the community to see Israel through its people, rather than through CNN; through its rich culture, not the security barrier. I want people to feel that they are partners in this 60-years-old creation and that they can still be partners, even if they criticize Israel sometimes.
Hobbies: I love traveling, riding motorcycles, reading, and boating.
What I want the community to know about me: I’m here to be part of the community and to teach and learn. I want the community to see me as a resource for anything related to Israel, from studying Hebrew, to traveling, studying abroad, or affecting Israel in any way.
Loading ...