Communities welcome new young emissaries

This year is the 13th year that SNEC communities are participating in the Israeli Young Emissary program.  We are proud to have been the pioneers and originators of this pre army year of volunteer service program, which now has been replicated in many other communities throughout North America.  High school graduates who have deferred their army service arrive in the US at the end of August to begin their year of volunteer service as young ambassadors of Israel and Living Bridge builders of our partnership with the city of Afula and the Gilboa region.  They will be placed in different SNEC communities and will live with local host families. For more information on the SNEC Israeli Young Emissary program, contact Sharon Reisman Conway, Director conwaysrc@comcast.net.

REPORT ON THE SNEC ISRAELI YOUNG EMISSARY PROGRAM
I have just returned from my annual visit to Israel: a trip that includes the past, present and future Israeli Young Emissaries and their families.  This visit is always a meaningful reminder of the importance of the Israeli Young Emissary program for everyone involved. I accompanied the current Young Emissaries back for their midyear break and sat with all of them together with Asaf Ron, our Israeli Program Director, Eshel Fram, Jewish Agency for Israel Partnership 2000 Director and Nava Chen, Living Bridge Coordinator to review the year until now. The group spoke of the depth of their connections with host families, work sites and community members and the impact they have in bringing Israel alive in their communities. Each Young Emissary will be conducting a “Living Bridge” project during their time in Israel which they have planned to make connections via pen pals, pictures or videos with Americans and their Israeli counterparts.

Young Emissaries in Action

Young Emissaries get together to carve pumpkins!

Article from Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Young Israeli Emissaries Dror Ben-Ami and Lidor David, both 18, improvise during an Israeli dance class, as they learn dances from the days of the first Israeli pioneers at “Torathon and Beyond, a Journey Into Jewish Life and Learning” at Congregation Beth Israel Saturday.

Tu B'Shevat Seder in New Bedford
The Young Emissaries from Central MA, Hartford and New London are pictured here in New Bedford for a Tu B'Shevat Seder.

Young Emissaries Visit State Capital
Young Emissaries visit the State Capitol building in CT where they met with several Jewish politicians.

Young Emissary BBQ
Young Emissaries were greeted at the home of Beryl Weinstein on September 2 with a BBQ. Representatives from our communities welcomed them to the states.

SNEC Young Emissary Program receives laptop donation

The SNEC Israeli Young Emissary program has just received a donation of high quality used Dell laptops that are being distributed to each Israeli Young Emissary for use this year.

The donation was received by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, who chose to make them available to the SNEC Young Emissaries.  The Federation further used staff time to license all the laptops, install the appropriate software and prepare them for use. I am grateful to Bob Friedman, Director of Building Operations for spending the time necessary to make them operational and for coming to a Young Emissary staff meeting to instruct the community coordinators in their use.

I want to publicly thank the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford for supporting our program with this donation of laptops and staff time. In this period of economic challenge, it is heartening to be the beneficiary of this generosity.

My personal thanks to Cathy Fischer Schwartz and Bob Friedman for their support.

Sharon Reisman Conway
Director, SNEC Israeli Young Emissary Program

Two Young Emissaries: A Look Back Part 2

This year was the most amazing year of my life.

It was my first visit in the United States and I discovered a new world.

I found my self in the Bridgeport community which became my home.

I was excited to teach in different schools and learn a lot from the Jewish life out side of Israel.

Two Young Emissaries: A Look Back

"Shalom, I'm Ziv Arzi, Young Emissary in the community between the years 2006-2007.

I'm in the army now, starting my officers' course in a few months. I’m going to be a tank platoon commander in the armed corps.

I remember the year in the Eastern Fairfield county community as the most valuable year of my life. I had great experiences everywhere I worked, visited or just stayed, and with everyone I met and worked.