From Newcomer to Family: the Shinshinim Host Family Experience
Written by Susan Frankel, Chief of Staff at Federation
This past August, our family welcomed our newest member into our home, Rotem, an 18-year-old Israeli high school graduate. He would be spending a year in the U.S., living and volunteering in Jewish Atlanta as part of Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s (Federation) Schoenbaum Shinshinim Program. Charged with sharing Israeli culture and bringing his experience to life through dance, music, the arts, holiday celebrations and life as a young Israeli, Shinshinim like Rotem build deep and lasting connections across Jewish communities and throughout the world.
Prior to his arrival, we spoke with Rotem a few times via Zoom and WhatsApp. Before even meeting him in person, we knew about his deep bond with his younger sister, Hilli, his dog, Krembo, and his obsession with futbol, especially FC Barcelona. And then, he was living in our home for the next 5 months. As we first all awkwardly hugged hello and settled in, there was a mix of excitement and nervous energy in the air, but also a deep sense of familiarity and an immediate connection — that connection that brings Jews together around shared food and culture, experiences and a shared history.
Rotem quickly has become immersed in Jewish Atlanta, volunteering and working six days a week serving the community at places like the Weber School, Jewish Family & Career Services, Temple Sinai, and others. He plans projects and activities for kids of all ages, meets with Jewish leaders, attends community programming, services at different synagogues and participated in his first American celebrations of the High Holy Days – including speaking at one of the teen services during Yom Kippur.
He also has quickly become a part of our family. Once we sorted out a few things: instant coffee is apparently the best, the purpose of the dishwasher, the more food, the better, time means something in the U.S., and the shared love and common language for all things sports between Rotem and our 18-year-old son, Gabe, we’ve learned a few other important lessons:
Rotem has an intense sense of pride for Israel and deep level of responsibility for representing his country that feels way beyond his years. His openness to engaging fully in every opportunity is both brave and inspiring. His love and energy for Israel, his commitment to friends and family and his general zest for life are a testament to the strength and resilience of the Israeli people.
We’ve had important conversations about the differences between security and safety and what this means for us in Atlanta and in Israel. We’ve ventured into politics, and we celebrated together when the hostages came home. We’ve learned and better understand the duty that Rotem feels in representing his country. And we’ve had incredible moments watching and listening to conversations between two 18-year-olds from vastly different worlds who have way more in common than anyone would ever have predicted.
Federation is now recruiting families to host Rotem and the other seven Shinshinim currently living in Atlanta for the second half of the school year. To be clear, we aren’t asking Rotem to leave our home – this is part of how the program is designed. It provides more opportunities for the Shinshinim to learn and grow, and it allows more families to engage with this amazing program.
This isn’t simply about providing a room and place for a young Israeli exploring the world to stay while they are in Atlanta. It is about building bridges, strengthening the connections and cementing relationships that sustains the bond between Jewish Atlanta and Israel. Rotem set his primary goal to be the “best Shinshin” and to represent his country to the best of his abilities. He has certainly accomplished this from our perspective and changed our family for the better as well.
If you’re interested in becoming a Shinshinim host family, learn more here and sign up using this form.
Rotem playing cards with his host family