For the first time in our Partnership 2000 relationship of Washington - Beit Shemesh -Mateh Yehuda and South Africa, we are proud to welcome our first ShinShinim, or year-of-service emissaries. Shin Shinim stand for the Hebrew words "Shnat Sherut" which mean Year of Service.
In August, three ShinShinim, Maya Whitfield, Shani Danino and Yossi Argov, left their homes and their families in Nataf, Nes Harim (both in Mateh Yehuda) & Beit Shemesh and headed off to spend a whole year in Washington DC.
The ShinShinim Young Emissary Project in Jewish communities abroad has been in existence for the last few years, and is new in the Washington Community. It is part of the Partnership 2000 enterprise of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Its goal is to bring together high school graduates from Israel and from communities in the US through the a year-long program of volunteer activity and service in the community.
The program recruits youth in grade 12 in Israel. During their last year in high school, the youth participate in a program, which deals with their heritage, the Jewish sources and issues of Jewish national and religious identity.
The ShinShinim defer their military service by one year and are sent to a Jewish community in the USA, which is part of Partnership 2000, in order to meet and interact with young Jews.
Yossi, Shani & Maya started their volunteer work in JPDS -Jewish Primary Day School and will soon start to work in the Washington Community synagogues and community centers.
Yossi Argov: "before my arrival I was a bit concerned about how it would be to stay with a host family from a different culture, with different rules and a different way of thinking, but when I arrived I discovered an amazing & warm family that is really taking care of me.
The staff in the school are very supportive and we recently started seeing an improvement in the Israel engagement through our activities".
Next year we are planning to extend the program to additional schools that will add a great contingent to Israel education in the community.