Shinshinim

Yali

Shalom everyone! We are in the middle of celebrating the high holidays and I couldn’t be happier!  I waited for this for so long! I remember that one of the first thoughts I had when I found out that I got accepted to this program was that I'm going to be celebrating the holidays far from home. In a different country with new people and without the people I usually celebrate with.

I have to admit, I was super nervous, I'm still nervous. But after celebrating Rosh Hashanah, I realized that it's not much of a difference after all. The food is very similar and the blessings are the same. So I think that the main difference is that not everyone around me is celebrating the holiday too.

In Israel, I'm used to feeling the holiday everywhere. It's a special feeling that I can't really put into words. And it's always there. After the first day of the holiday, four days ago, we were on our way back home from the synagogue and passed by a public school and saw some students. It hit me suddenly. Not everyone is celebrating the holiday. It was really strange and new for me to see kids going to school when it's a holiday. I'm not in Israel anymore. That's the main difference.

Next week, we are going to celebrate Yom Kippur and I am really excited to see how it will go and how l will be feeling. When I was a kid, Yom Kippur was always the day to meet all my friends and to ride bikes around the city together. It changed when I was in 8th grade. I’ve started fasting. It was hard at the beginning but I was with my family and friends and here’s what my Yom Kippur looks like now:

We're having a big meal just before the fast starts and then I usually go to my friend’s house to meet some more friends. We're doing the fast together. Walking around the city for a little while to see more friends (even those we haven't seen or talked to in the last 5 years…) and it feels different. There are no cars in the street and it’s all so peaceful and quiet but also filled with people at the same time. And that is how we are going through the fast. Playing board games, solving at least 2 puzzles, and disconnecting from our phones for 25 hours.

I always break the fast with my family. With challah with olive oil, tea and a specific cake my mom makes. And then we drive to my grandparents’ house for dinner. So the holiday has really changed for me in the past few years. It became an opportunity for me to connect more to my friends, family, myself and my Jewish identity.

This year I’m not going to celebrate the holiday in that way. I’m in Canada after all… but I can't wait to see how it'll be. Will I feel the same connection? Will I miss it? Maybe both? anything can happen.  But I do know that I am in the most supportive community. And that I only get to experience the holiday here once in that way… so no matter what will happen, I'm sure that it's going to be super meaningful for me.

Thank you all so much and Shabbat shalom!

Tamar

Shalom everyone, and for the last time, Shana Tova.

We are in the middle or the start of Chagei Tishrei (חגי תשרי) and Ii had the privilege to celebrate it with all of you. As Tamar said earlier there are some differences but it’s also the same. But the school thing was a shock to me too.

I have to say that I’m so happy that the holidays start with Rosh Hashanah, because one of the things I was nervous about most was that out side of Israel the holidays are being celebrated twice. And luckily Rosh Hashana in Israel is also two days, so I had an easy start. But really how can you do two Passover, two לילה הסדר? It feels impossible to me, even though I heard that one סדר you do with one side of the family and the second with the other side. But still, two סדר?

Soon on this Wednesday we celebrate יום כיפור, I haven’t experienced יום כיפור here so I can’t tell how it’s like here compared to what it’s like in Israel but what I can tell its, how I celebrate יום כיפור at home in Israel. Wow, יום כיפור, the most important and beautiful high holiday for me, in Israel it feels like all the country is standing still, 25 hours of quiet, in kind of peace. All the restaurants and stores are closed but the streets are full of people, all wearing white.

It’s like the streets are filled with angels. All the children are riding their bikes and the vibe is just so special it’s a feeling that you experience only on יום כיפור.For me כיפור, it’s the day when I got to hang with my family, talk, read and play a lot, lots of board games. Just really being together without any distractions.

Every year before my בת מצווה.  I tried to fast at least the night of כיפור,just to practice for the future, but really I just wanted to be like my big sisters. I remember the first כיפור I really fast I, I was 11 and I was so proud of myself for doing that, I felt like I can do anything, I’m unstoppable. Then I didn’t understand why I fast, what כיפור  really was, but now, now I know I built and still building my understanding and meaning of this beautiful high holiday.

In Israel יום כיפור  is just something that you can’t really explain with words and I tried, but I do think that this year will be the most special year for me, getting to celebrate and experience it here with all of you, I’m so lucky so thank you!

This week was so much fun and festive and it opened our holidays season and in this opportunity I want to remind everyone that לדור ודור  for סוכות  start very soon on October 5 and we are looking forward to seeing you all, and of course in K&L and  all are other programs too.

Thank you so much and Shabbat Shalom.

Yali

Shalom everyone, I’m Yali the new shinshiniot and I’m super excited to be here. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. I already can tell what an amazing community this is and how lucky I am to be a small part of it. Thank you.

I really wanna get to know everyone here and I have one year to do so but for a start maybe you can get to know me a little.

So nice to meet you all, I’m Yali Rachel Rosenblum. I’m 18 years old and I’m from Givat Shmuel which is a city 20 min from Tel Aviv, even though every city in the centre is 20 minutes from Tel Aviv. I’m the third of four sisters, Ella, Tamar and Bilby, Libi. and my parents, Rami and Dafna. I can say that I really miss them and love them so much. I say this like they can hear because they can, my mother is watching me right now from the zoom, love you mom.

I really love traveling, specifically in Israel,and especially with my friends. One of my dreams is to travel the world, and I believe that I will do that one day! I love to cook and bake but I'm not saying that I’m good at it, I just love to do it, and I also worked in a bakery.

I was a part of the youth movement B'nei Akiva for eight years, which in two of these years I was Madricha for the best girls! In B'nei Akiva I met some of my best friends and I'm so grateful for them.

I have never thought that I’ll be a shinshiniot, but from the moment I heard about this program I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do. I want to bring my little piece of Israel to you, to connect all of us together, and give as much as I can.

And for me to learn and experience, and form my own Jewish identity. I can already say that I gained and learned so much and I’m just two weeks in. So thank you again .

Well there is a lot more to say and for that we have a year, but now it’s my time to get to know you all and of course for you to get to know Tamar.

Thank you!

Tamar

Hey everyone! I’m Tamar. Wow, this is really crazy. The 15 year old me could have never believed that she’d be standing here right now. So thank you for this amazing opportunity. As Yali said, just before we’ll get to know you, here’s a great opportunity for you to get to know me a little.

I’m Tamar Shaul, I'm almost 18 years old and I'm from Hod Hasharon which is a city in the center of Israel, that yes, you guessed right, is 30 min from Tel Aviv… I’m the middle child to my amazing parents Shlomi and Meirav and a sister to my brothers - Omri and Nitay.  And of course, I can’t forget about my sweet dog Phoebe, that between us, she’s the one I miss the most.

I have always loved art, all kinds of it. I love painting and drawing, I've been playing the guitar for the past 5 years and I've been singing my whole life and even played in two musicals in my high school. Another fun fact about me is that I used to dance flamenco, I've danced for 10 years!

In the past 7 years I was a part of the youth movement “כנפיים של קרמבו” - krembo wings which is a youth movement for kids with and without special needs. I was a מדריכה for two years and than a רכזת - which means that I was in charge of a group of 8 other מדריכים and it was amazing!

Standing here and speaking to you now is truly a dream come true for me. To be honest, I've always thought that I wouldn’t do any kind of a gap year after high school and that I would go straight to the army… but as soon as I heard about this amazing program, I just knew that this is the right place for me. The perfect place for me to bring pieces from Israel to other people, to connect with the Jewish community around the world and to learn so much about myself from doing so.

I have so much more to talk about with you and I’m so glad that we have a whole year for that! As for now, we invite you to come tomorrow  to our welcome back BBQ and of course to all of our programs during the year.

Thank you so much and Shabbat Shalom!