MILWAUKEE — For Eitan and Mia, both 18, their teenage years have been a time of change, challenge and growth.
Two years ago, they lived in Israel through the attacks of Oct. 7. Now, they’re in Milwaukee, serving for a year as emissaries from their nation. They are called “shin shins” and they arrived in Milwaukee last month as part of a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
As this academic year’s starting participants in the shin shin program, which brings Israeli high school graduates to Jewish communities abroad for a year of service, they arrive during a time of worldwide change.
“In the place where I grew up, it’s almost like the whole area is a region built out of a lot of kibbutzim and moshavim,” said Eitan, reflecting on the tight-knit nature of Israeli society. “The second you know a guy’s last name, usually you would find a connection with that guy. Maybe his mom taught you somewhere. It’s a very warm thing.”
Mia, who hails from Haifa, echoed the sentiment. In Israel, “everybody is so nice and warm. Every time I meet new people, it’s a smile and open arms, and they are always so nice and so thoughtful,” she said. “I love to meet new people, because it’s always a good experience.”
But the shadow of pain and conflict overshadowed Israel’s warmth as the two Israeli teens approached adulthood. The Oct. 7 attacks, two years ago, left a deep mark on their generation, they said.
“It was an experience like no other,” Eitan said. “It left a lot of kids… with a lot of different things to think about. I feel it was a very maturing experience, because we were young, and to get exposed to all the horrible things that happened there, it’s definitely an experience that made you start looking at the bigger picture.”
Both teens described a sense of responsibility to help their country heal and move forward. “We are the ones in line to help make the country stronger, basically because we saw the country at its lowest,” Eitan said. “Now it’s our turn to come and help the country become greater, to learn from our mistakes.”
Social media, they said, has amplified both the challenges and the opportunities for their generation. “We see a lot of the other side and experience a lot from the other side, because in social media, everything is so crazy,” Mia said. “Everyone is so harsh online and posts awful things on Israel and hostages and the war, with things that are not usually true and very harsh words. So we all experience that, and we all see that. And I think because we see that, it hurt us more, and we want more to prevent it.”
The young Israelis said their drive to build, connect and explain remains strong.
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