Written by both Staci and Joel Libowsky
This is the story of Staci and Joel Libowsky and their family, who decided to get out of their comfort zone and become a host family for a Shinshin.
The Schoenbaum Shinshinim program brings Israel and Jewish Atlanta together. Shinshinim are 18-year-old high school graduates from all over Israel who complete a year of service in Jewish Atlanta, fostering connections to Israel for community members of all ages.
The program is funded by the generosity of Schoenbaum family in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
In 2023-2024, our family had the incredible experience of hosting Matan Moshe, an 18-year-old Shinshin from Israel. Matan was born in Givat Shmuel but currently lives in Kiryat Ono. He’s the youngest of four. Matan joined our family in Dunwoody, and over the course of a year, he became like one of our own.
Initially, we had mixed feelings about hosting. We were approached with the opportunity several times, but we hesitated, especially our two sons, who weren’t thrilled about a “stranger” living in our home. However, our daughter was excited from the start, and after a little convincing, we decided to go for it. The boys, to our surprise, warmed up to Matan within minutes of meeting him.
I (Joel) had some personal reservations, too. We had never had anyone else live with us, and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about another person in the house. But from the moment Matan arrived, all my worries vanished. It quickly became clear that this was going to be an amazing year. Matan fit into our family so naturally that having him with us felt effortless. It was less of a commitment than we had anticipated—he just became a part of our daily lives, joining us for meals or hanging out whenever it suited him.
One of the most surprising aspects of the experience was seeing the different connections each of our children formed with Matan. They each had their own unique bond with him. Our daughter loved making TikToks with him, while our son Dylan enjoyed their deep conversations. Our eldest, Noah, took a little longer to warm up, but watching their relationship grow was incredibly special.
Being Jewish connected us with Matan on a deep level, yet we also discovered fascinating cultural differences. Despite our Ashkenazi roots and his Mizrahi background, we bonded over our shared values, and those conversations about Israel and life were moments we’ll always treasure. Matan’s energy and magnetism also had a huge impact on our year. He became a well-known figure in our community—even our neighbors and his students at Davis Academy grew fond of him, as he made friends wherever he went.
He has an incredible energy and magnetism, and a special way of connecting with everyone, everywhere we went—whether it was at Davis or even at a neighborhood basketball game. It didn’t matter if it was our closest friends or new acquaintances, he made everyone feel like family. His presence truly enriched our lives, bringing us unexpected joy and connection. It was a year we’ll always cherish.
When it was time to say goodbye, our entire family felt the weight of his departure. Matan left each of us a heartfelt letter, and we all shed tears and felt a real loss when we had to say goodbye. We all cherish those letters, reminders of the amazing year we shared.
In fact, Matan also flew in for our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah in November. Her parsha and D’var Torah were all about welcoming guests, and she talked about hosting Matan and what it meant to our family.
Would we do it again? Absolutely. We’ve talked about hosting again in the future, especially after our sons are older. This experience was truly life-changing for all of us, and we highly recommend it to anyone considering it. Opening your heart and home to a Shinshin is a unique way to build a connection that will impact your family forever.
Know a family who wants to create lifelong relationships and has at least one child between the ages of 10 and 18? Federation needs 16 families every single year to step up and host!
Interested in being a Shinshinim Host Family? Federation is currently seeking families for second semester starting in January. Please contact Amy Fox at afox@jewishatlanta.org.
