You could say the beaches of Tel Aviv, the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the tastes and smells of the amazing food, or the sounds of Hebrew, but truly the best part of Israel is the people! When we visit Israel and come back home, the most precious thing we bring back cannot be purchased from any store. The most valuable part of our visit is our relationship with the people.
Sadly, not everyone has the opportunity to visit Israel and make these relationships. Fortunately, we as a Temple Emanu-El community, have an amazing opportunity to bring a piece of Israel into our home.
This year, Temple Emanu-El will host an incredible young Israeli who will be with us nearly every week. The program that enables us to have such an opportunity is called in Hebrew, “Sh’nat Sherut” or Year of Service (shorthand we call it “Shinshin,” like the letter “shin” said twice). Through the Jewish Federation of Atlanta and the Jewish Agency, each child at Temple Emanu-El will have the opportunity to learn from and bond with a young Israeli.
Who are these young Israelis? Instead of going straight from High School to the Israel Defense Forces, these 18 and 19 year-olds have chosen to serve the Jewish people by coming to Atlanta and being emissaries, connecting us with the State of Israel. Our shinshin is Omer, from Yokneam. Take a minute and click here check out his introduction video!
WE NEED YOUR HELP. We need host families to house these young Israelis throughout the year. A host family will provide a home for an Israeli teen for 12 weeks. It’s an incredible opportunity to not only experience Israel in your synagogue, but right in your very home! This program is only possible through the help of volunteers like you who are able and willing to open their home for an amazing 12 weeks of bonding.
L’shalom,
Max
