Oct 5, 2022

Shinshinyot Alma and Ronny Bring Israel to Life in Miami

Meet Miami’s new Shinshinyot (young emmissaries) Ronny Yogev and Alma Zehavi, recently arrived from Israel and eager to impart their knowledge of Israel and Judaic tradition to Miami’s Jewish community. The shinshinim (short for shnat sherut - year of service) gap year program, managed by Federation overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel, brings high school graduates who defer their service in the Israeli Defense Forces to Jewish communities worldwide to act as cultural ambassadors for Israel. Ronny, from Ganei Tikvah near Tel Aviv, and Alma, from Hod HaSharon in central Israel, both 18 years old, met in the program, but joke that people have trouble telling them apart. Their similarity extends to their passion for their shinshinim assignments. “I like to say, ‘I’m bringing Israel through me,’” says Ronny. “I love to see my students and peers connect to Israel with my personal story and to Jewish tradition not from halacha or Torah but through my eyes.” As for Alma, her passion to serve Israel in this unique way was ignited while still in middle school. “I went with a youth delegation to Hungary and met a shinshin there,” she said. And the rest is history!

Alma is based in North Miami and Ronny in South Dade. Their days are spent at Jewish day schools, synagogues and Miami’s three Federation-supported Jewish community centers meeting with children ages three through 18. They work within all denominations of Judaism and also with youth groups such as Maccabi Tza’ir and Tzofim. Every Thursday is “Shinshinim Day” when Alma and Ronny meet with the program’s hub, a group of nine emissaries stationed in South Florida, to learn from each other and share stories.

The Shinshinyot conduct programs and activities that acquaint the community with Israel as well as Federation’s involvement there. One such program they developed for students at Scheck Hillel is Shvil Yisrael, or the Trail of Israel, in which they “travel” through the Jewish homeland, learning all about it. “It’s a real road in Israel,” Alma explains, “but we invented our own road with places that are meaningful and important for our students to visit.” One of their first stops was Federation’s partner city Yerucham, where they explored the beauty and ingenuity of the Negev destination. Throughout the year-long program, students add stickers to a map to mark all the places they’ve “visited” along with a brief reflection so that by the end of their Shvil Yisrael journey, they have a record of experiences and knowledge gained along the Trail of Israel.

Adding to the experience are the host families who provide these young Israelis with a place to call home while they’re here. “They make us feel like a part of their family and we feel like they’re family for life,” declares Ronny, adding, “I’ll be inviting them to my wedding!” That they only stay with each family for a period of three months before moving to another, she notes, is an opportunity “to meet more people from the community and touch more hearts.”

Though they have only just began their year-long adventure, Ronny and Alma are already brimming with appreciation for their time in Miami. “We feel very grateful to be so welcomed by the community and our host families,” says Alma, “and we’re so thankful to Federation for giving us the opportunity to do this year of shlichut and for making this dream come true.”

If you are interested in hosting one of the teens, please click here.