Spotlight on...
 
The Israeli Young Emissary Program 

More than 11 years ago, a small group of Jewish professional and volunteer leaders in our federation created an innovative way to bring "Israel" into our community. A representative from the office of Mayor Danny Attar in Gilboa, located in the northern part of Israel, was visiting Westport in connection with Project Renewal, a joint program of the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel that paired American and Israeli communities in order to help rehabilitate distressed neighborhoods in Israel. People in the Afula-Gilboa region wanted to reciprocate for our community's generosity by offering to send young Israeli "ambassadors" to our community, whose passion for Israel could be shared with us in a unique and personal way.
 
The first pair of emissaries arrived in Westport in 1998. Since then, more than 60 young Israelis have lived and taught throughout the WWWN community, and the program has been replicated throughout North America. Our program is a collaboration between the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and 13 Jewish federations in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, collectively known as the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC).
 
The emissaries are Israeli high-school graduates who are permitted to defer their Israeli Army service for one year. They live with host families in our community and work in area synagogues, schools, Jewish organizations, and attend community-wide events. The program is underwritten by UJA/Federation WWWN, with the support of our area synagogues.
 
"As recent high-school graduates, the emissaries can relate in a special way to our kids," says Steve Friedlander, executive director of UJA/Federation WWWN. "The Israeli Young Emissary program emphasizes peer-to-peer interaction, which helps to create a meaningful and close bond between our children, our families and the emissaries."
 
The program offers true reciprocal value: The emissaries learn about Judaism in the U.S. and are exposed to the more egalitarian American forms of Jewish practice that exist in Israel only on a limited basis. Over the years, several female emissaries have been bat-mitzvahed in our local congregations. This "coming of age" milestone reinforces the mutuality of these unique relationships.
 
Susie Weiner, a staff-member of UJA/Federation WWWN, serves as coordinator of the Israeli Young Emissary Program. This month, we welcome two new links in the living bridge between our community and Israel