Global News Archives

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Global News

The Amazing Mayors of Yokneam & Megiddo

The mayors of the cities in our Israel Partnership region are remarkable men! Mayor Simon Alfasi, of Yokneam, and Itzik Holavsky, head of the Regional Council of Megiddo, are committed to making life better for their citizens. Both men have a passion to accelerate the quality of life for the Ethiopian olim (immigrants) in their communities and to create more opportunities for educational and economic advancement in their region. We’re excited to share video interviews with Mayor Simon Alfasi, and Mayor Itzik Holavsky responding to questions from members of Atlanta’s Jewish Peoplehood Committee. Take a minute to meet these men and learn about the issues in our Partnership region, and the positive outcomes our Atlanta dollars are achieving.

Meet Yokneam’s Mayor Alfasi here.

Meet Megiddo’s Mayor Holavsky here.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News

Atlanta Meets Israel in a JumpSpark Blog

JumpSpark’s Amplifying Israel program is all about connecting Atlanta teens with their counterparts in our Partnership Region, Yokneam, Israel. Lulu Rosenberg, an 11th grader at North Springs High School, is one of five Atlanta fellows in the program. Shaked Nitka is a high school student in Yokneam, Israel. Both girls are blogging to explore their feelings about what it means to be Jewish, and in the process are illuminating places where they align, and where they diverge a bit, too. Here’s what they have to say:

Lulu Rosenberg: Whether I am lighting the Shabbat candles, eating chicken soup with matzah balls, participating in a global Jewish youth group like BBYO, or attending a Strong Jewish Women’s Fellowship meeting, there is no doubt that I am connected to my Judaism. Being Jewish is a huge part of my identity and it plays a major role in my daily life. When I wake up in the morning, it’s not like the first thing I think of is being Jewish. But when I come downstairs and see a plate of hamentaschen from my neighbor on the counter, I don’t question it. When I get a bowl for my cereal before I go to school, I make sure to get a dairy one and not a meat one. Leaving my house for school, I pass the mezuzah on the door and walk to my car. I don’t even notice the sticker on my windshield for the Jewish Community Center anymore; it is the same one that practically every other Jew in Atlanta also has.

I used to go to a Jewish day school where all my friends and most of my teachers were Jewish. Now, I attend public school. My closest friends are still Jewish, but I am no longer in a bubble where Judaism defines my every day. Everyone at school knows I am Jewish, but it doesn’t seem to faze anyone like I expected it to. I’m not even sure how I expected people to act, but for some reason I believed that my Judaism would really matter to others. Lulu’s story continues here.

Shaked Nitka: Judaism is a big part of my life, and it is in my daily life almost everywhere, sometimes even without me noticing it. It could be reflected in the Magen David (shield necklace) that I got for my Bat Mitzvah and which I wear all the time, or in the special feeling of a holiday whenever Friday comes. I think the fact that I’m Israeli has a strong connection to my Judaism because in Israel there are many holy places for Judaism that are close to me and that allow me to connect with Judaism and the history of the Jewish people. Also, Israel is based on Judaism and its laws, and the people surrounding me are following those just like me. For example, on Yom Kippur, everything is closed and when I go out on the streets there are lots of people outside riding a bike or meeting each other to spend this time together, which allows me to experience the holiday in a more powerful and special way.

I’m not in a religious Jewish school, but Judaism is still present. I learn the Bible, and on school trips we go to places that are important to the history of the Jewish people. After school, I usually learn more and do my homework, go out with my friends, or ride on roller skates to a field close to my house where I will read a book or knit. On Friday, which is my favorite day of the week, I help my parents cook Shabbat dinner, and on that day, my brother also comes back from the Israeli army. We all sit down and have Shabbat dinner together. Being Jewish and Israeli is a big and important part of my identity that matters and interests me greatly. I love opportunities like this one (Amplifying Israel teen fellow) that connect me to Judaism.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News, Jewish Journeys

Gap Year in Israel: An Incredible Option for Pre College Students

What if your high school student didn’t go to college right after high school? Taking a year-long break, or “gap year” in Israel between high school and college is growing in popularity for pre-college Jewish teens. And what if your student even got a scholarship to go?!

Now JumpSpark, in partnership with The Zalik Foundation, has received funding to award 30 lucky students with a $10,000 – $15,000 scholarship that supports an in-person gap year in Israel. At a time when for many, the college experience is a virtual one, The Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship guarantees actual experiences!

When students take a gap year in Israel they live and interact with their peers. It’s an international communal living and growth experience that instills independence, maturity, and opportunities to travel and serve, while building life-long connections to lsrael. There are many exciting gap year options to choose from, so read on to learn about the Israel program that’s right for your student!

JumpSpark’s new Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship provides generous support for ten pre-approved and diverse gap year programs. Explore the desert, volunteer on a kibbutz, visit high-tech startups, engage in meaningful social action, and connect with thousands of years of Jewish life in Israel.

Join us for a series of information sessions on each of the gap year programs eligible for the Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship. The diverse participating gap year programs span a range of focus areas, cities, and religious affiliations. There’s an Israel gap year experience for everyone and we can help you identify the one that’s right for you.

To help in this process, JumpSpark will have a day dedicated to learning about each program, meeting the staff, and hearing from current and past teen and parent participants. See the dates below and learn more about which program might be a good fit. Find scholarship applications here.

Upcoming Atlanta Israel Gap Year Information Sessions:

FEB. 17, 2021 | Bina Gap Year ›

FEB. 21, 2021 | Aardvark ›

FEB. 23, 2021 | Masa Israel Journey: Why Choose a Gap Year ›

FEB. 24, 2021 | Nativ ›

FEB. 28, 2021 | Young Judaea Year Course ›

MAR. 3, 2021 |Shinshinim IL ›

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Global News, Jewish Journeys

Men’s Journey to Israel

November 7-13, 2021 | Israel
This November, take an unforgettable Jewish Journey to Israel!
On this trip you will take a deep dive into local Israeli life, politics, food, and culture, and go beyond the typical tourist path.
Perfect for both first-time and veteran travelers. Learn more and sign up.

Some trip highlights* include:

Meet some of Israel’s leading entrepreneurs.

Rappel down the old city walls of Jerusalem for a unique view
Visit the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the goods crossing at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, where the borders of Gaza and Israel meet
Dinner at Blue Sky restaurant with Chef Meir Adoni, one of Israel’s leading chefs
More highlights to come…

*itinerary subject to change

We continue to monitor COVID-19 and will only proceed with the trip if it is safe for all participants.
For now, we have high hopes we will all be able to be together in Israel this upcoming November.

Men’s Journey Chairs: David Fisher, Joel Marks, Brian Seitz, Stuart Shapiro, Mark Silberman

Make your deposit today to reserve your spot on the bus. Deposits are refundable until August 21, 2021.

Suggested donation: $1,800+ | Price: $4,140 double occupancy or +$1,290 single occupancy

Questions? Contact Dakota Penza.

jewishatl In Atlanta Birthright Community Trips, Global News, Jewish Journeys

New from JumpSpark: Amplifying Israel Teen Fellowship

In 2021, JumpSpark is excited to add teen Israel travel to its portfolio. In order to create enthusiasm around that shift, JumpSpark is launching the new Amplifying Israel Teen Fellowship! This is a bold initiative to strengthen our relationship with teens in our partnership region, Yokneam and Megiddo, and to amp up teen travel to Israel.

As the program launches, four Amplifying Israel Teen Fellows will be chosen from the Atlanta Jewish community. They’ll work with four identified teen leaders in Atlanta’s partnership region. Our Atlanta fellows are ambassadors who will be trained as social media storytellers for the program as they build excitement for Israel travel.

Just as we bring Shinshinim to Atlanta from our partnership region, we want to connect Atlanta teens to Israeli teens. This Fellowship will be the first step in strengthening our connection to our partnership region and getting more teens to Israel.

“This Fellowship will be the first step in strengthening our teen connection to our partnership region and getting more teens to Israel,” says Kelly Cohen, Director of JumpSpark. “Connecting on a personal level is key. That is what this program seeks to do.”

“Nothing compares to having a friend from Israel who is your age or to experience Israel with your Israeli friend,” says Eliad Ben Shushan, Director of the Partnership. “This is also a fantastic opportunity for our Israeli teens to learn about the life of teens in Atlanta.”

jewishatl In Global News, Jewish Journeys, Shinshinim Atlanta

Shinshinim Life

SHINSHINIM LIFE
By Amit Toledo

When the Shinshinim landed in Atlanta on September 27, I was feeling excited about the unknown and ready to tackle the two weeks of quarantine. Yet I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I was actually here. There were so many times over the last many months when all of us were worried the program would be cancelled for the year.
My adventure only began to feel real when I met my family, the Seitz’s, over Zoom just a few weeks before boarding a plane to Atlanta. I learned very quickly that they were the epitome of the “All American Atlanta Family” with their photo of the Braves in the background. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with my host sister Barri, who showed me her bedroom as we began getting to know one another.
Spending Yom Kippur and Sukkot in quarantine was the beginning of a new chapter in my adventure. Being quarantined with my Shinshinim cohort I learned quickly how to lean on and trust my new friends and colleagues. We cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and bonded over the two weeks in a beautiful Airbnb in a Roswell neighborhood. (I recommend the quarantine experience for future Shinshinim, not for Covid-19 but for bonding purposes.)
Many different supervisors, rabbis, Israeli community members, as well as current and past host families came to visit us and shared their experiences with our new group. It was overwhelming but I took it all in and learned a lot about the Atlanta Jewish Community.
I was nervous as I entered my new host home for the first time but quickly felt at ease. Though I expected it to feel awkward, it felt both natural and overwhelming — in the best way possible. Of course, the Braves were on TV, the energy was high, and my first American Shabbat dinner of hamburgers was delicious. Our family hike was the topping on the cake!
I’m very excited to see all of Atlanta and am looking forward to making an impact and seeing the changes that will happen in the year to come.

jewishatl In Global News, Jewish Journeys, Shinshinim Atlanta

Home Away From Home

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
by Saren Schapiro, Host Family to Shiraz Bar Haim

Why did you choose to host a Shinshinit? What were you and your family hoping to gain?
Over the last few years, our family has seen the incredible experience our friends had hosting teens from Shinshinim Atlanta. Also, our two girls had unforgettable experiences learning with the Shinshinim at their Hebrew school at Or Hadash. When life slowed down this year and forced us to be home from work and school, the opportunity to devote time and attention to a Shinshinit was there. We signed up right away and were so excited when we heard that we would be hosting! I hope this year will be a year to remember for both our kids and Shiraz. We are excited to gain a daughter, big sister, and lifelong connection to Israel.

Tell me about your family’s feelings during the application process.

We were hopeful! No one really knew whether this year would happen or how it would look. We really just went with it, put ourselves out there, and looked forward to a unique opportunity.

So, you heard that you were chosen as a host family. It took a while to be officially introduced to your Israeli daughter. When you were introduced, how did the first meeting go? How did your family begin preparing for her arrival? What were your thoughts, plans, and emotions during this time?
That’s right! We didn’t find out this was happening until very close to the arrival time. The minute we found out Shiraz was paired with our family, we set up a time to FaceTime with her and her family in Israel. We met her mom, dad, and sister, and asked her all about herself. We showed Shiraz her new room as our girls jumped around in the background with excitement! Getting our guest room ready for her was a good incentive to do a little organizing around the house!

Tell me about the drive-by meeting on the day of Shiraz’s arrival. And then the Shinshinim’s two-week quarantine. How did your family manage that?
Meeting Shiraz that first day during the drive-by of their quarantine house was awesome! The girls made big Welcome signs, we brought our puppy along, and got to connect in person for the first time. We were able to get a feel for Shiraz’s personality and communication style. The two-week quarantine was HARD!!! We just wanted to hug her already! Shiraz’s birthday fell on the second day she was in Atlanta, so we were able to bring her a birthday cake and delicious lunch for an outdoor socially distanced party. We visited Shiraz in quarantine a few times over the two weeks, which really allowed us to get to know her. I was shocked and happy to see how quickly she clicked with my kids and was excited to engage with them and play, and how easily she seemed to fit into our family.

Tell me about Shiraz’s first week with you. What were the things you did together to begin the bonding experience?
The first day Shiraz was with us, we spent a quiet afternoon helping her unpack, showing her around the house, and exchanging gifts. Shiraz is such a kind, thoughtful person. She brought gifts for the kids, lots of games and toys, and asked them to help her unpack. They had a blast! My girls gave Shiraz a big basket of things we bought her to help her settle in. The first two nights Shiraz was here, my husband and I, and Shiraz stayed up late and talked forever. We discovered that Shiraz is an incredible young lady, very mature and insightful, with so many ideas and views. Over the first week we have been cooking (shnitzel night was the best!), hiking, playing, talking, having Shabbat dinner, watching movies, and making s’mores! Shiraz has quickly and easily fit into our family and made our house feel complete. We love her already!

jewishatl In Global News, Jewish Journeys, Shinshinim Atlanta

How They’re Serving Jewish Atlanta

What does it mean to be a Shinshin in the midst of a global pandemic? It means summoning up courage and curiosity, dedication and drive! These young Israelis have already shown us they have all of that! The five Schoenbaum Shinshinim are currently working with over 25 Jewish and non-Jewish institutions in the Metro-Atlanta area this year — in person more often than not! Each Shinshin(it) spends time in our Jewish Day Schools between 2-4 days per week, and then in the afternoons and evenings they may engage in an after-school Hebrew School or youth group through Zoom.

Some of our synagogue religious schools have classes in person, some in a hybrid model, or on Zoom over the weekends. We are constantly finding creative ways to reach organizations that we were unable to add to our weekly calendars. The Shinshinim recently participated in Senior Week at the MJCCA, leading a program called “Growing up in Israel” where they shared their personal stories, their thoughts on serving in the IDF, and life in Israel during COVID-19. We plan to share a lesson on social media about the Ethiopian Holiday Sigd and will also amplify the MJCCA celebration of Hanukkah.

We hope you will have a chance to interact with one of these inspiring and interesting young Israelis in the coming months.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News, PJ Library Atlanta

Sharing The Same Moon. Sharing Our Lives.

All Jews share the same lunar calendar, and now twelve families from Yokneam, Megido, and Atlanta have officially begun sharing the moon! The project began two months ago to bring us together at a time when social distancing keeps us even farther apart. Working with our Partnership region, we paired Israeli families with families in Atlanta to build bridges.

Through letter writing these families are collaboratively building an interactive book together called The Same Moon. It tells the story of two families who live on opposite sides of the ocean who get to know each other by sending handwritten letters and photos throughout the year. The book features pockets where one can store the letters as a way to personalize the book for each family. Every month the book prompts the families to share something different about their lives — their hobbies, interests, holiday celebrations and traditions, favorite recipes, and more.

Katie Guzner, a PJ Library Co-Chair, loves the program. “We read PJ Library stories about Israel with our kids and tell them about my Birthright trip, and when my husband, Gennadiy, lived in Megiddo. Now our kids get to share stories with a family in Israel. It’s so precious to receive a letter from our pen pal family and for our girls to learn that we have so much in common.”

jewishatl In Global News

Lone Soldiers from Atlanta and St. Louis get a “hug” from our Partners in Israel

The concept of the “lone soldier” is almost unique to Israel where so many young men and women serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) without having immediate family in Israel. The lone solider can be a new immigrant or a volunteer from abroad. Most of them have no family in Israel to stay at on weekends when they are off base, and the pandemic makes things even worse — their relatives cannot come to visit them in Israel, and COVID-19 restrictions require soldiers to spend longer periods of time on base. Where can lone soldiers go for a reassuring hug, a hot meal, or a package from home?

This year, for the first time in the 26-year history of our Partnership, Israelis from Yokneam and Megiddo held a fundraiser to support and “adopt” lone soldiers from Atlanta and St. Louis now serving in the IDF. Local volunteers from the region will deliver packages to these lone soldiers at army bases across Israel. The effort was organized completely by volunteers and they surpassed their goal, raising approximately $6,000. Lone soldiers will receive packages for the High Holidays and also for Thanksgiving. Four more Partnership communities will follow Yokneam and Megiddo’s lead and raise funds to support lone soldiers. What a beautiful way to pay forward our sense of kesher (bridge building).