While bonding with each other and the other teen emissaries, they were not able to really start connecting with their communities or host families. Ofry was not even in the community she would be working with as she was to be a ShinShin in San Diego; Segev is assigned to L.A.

After their time in quarantine, both Ofry and Segev were able to move in with their host families. Despite only being with them for a short time, they are excited to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, with their hosts.

“My host family isn’t religious but they do celebrate holidays. And whatever they do, I’ll do,” said Ofry. “I think for Rosh Hashanah we will get together with some of their other friends, hosting in our home safely. It will definitely be a unique experience to be here and not in Israel for the holidays.”

“I’m looking forward to reading the prayers with my host family and being part of a big group around the table. It will make me feel like this is a second home,” said Segev. “I’m very close with my family and not being with them will be hard but they know what I’m doing here is important.”

Ofry and Segev have both spent time in America before. Ofry fell in love with the idea of serving the U.S. Jewish community after coming to the U.S. as part of a teen delegation four years ago. Of course, she never thought her time of serving would be in the middle of a pandemic.

“It’s been a time of uncertainty and confusion but The Jewish Agency has been amazing through this whole experience. And I’m still, luckily, working with people in-person at the JCC but a lot of my fellow ShinShinim will be working only on Zoom. It’s made me think about how challenging it is to really make an impact on someone when you have never met them, only interacted on a computer,” reflected Ofry.