Israel and External Community

Israel and External Community
 
The purpose of the Israel and External Community Committee is to link the congregation to Israel, to the downtown Jewish community, including the Downtown Jewish Community Council, and to the broader community in which we find ourselves.
The committee meets periodically and is comprised of 5 to 7 members.

Activities this year include:
•    Co-sponsoring a course with the Adult Education Committee of Engaging Israel: Foundations for a new relationship; A project of the Shalom  Hartman Institute led by Rabbi Ed Elkin
•     Participation in the Weekend of Twinning of Mosques and Synagogues
•     Participation in the Walk with Israel with the other key organizations in the downtown Jewish community
•     Yom Ha’atzma’ut and Yom Hazikaron programming
•     Participation in the UJA MAKOM Young Emissary Program
 
 What is the  UJA MakomYoung Emissary (Shinshinim) Program at the First Narayever?
 In late 2009, the First Narayever Board of Governors learned about the UJA Makom Young
 Emissary Program (Shinshinim Program). The program was established to help Jews living
 outside of Israel develop stronger connections to Israel through informal approaches to
 education in our day schools, supplementary schools, synagogues and Jewish camps. This
 personal and relevant education was to be delivered by Young Emissaries, Israelis who choose
 to do a year of national service abroad sharing their perspectives on Israel.
 Read  more aboout the program...
 
Makom began in 2007 with 2 young emissaries, and has grown over the past five years to
currently include 14 young emissaries in 2011-12. The First Narayever participated for the first
time in 2010-2011, partnering with the Downtown Jewish Community School and the Paul
Penna Downtown Jewish Day School to bring over our “pioneer” shinshinim, Reut Rozner and
Yuval Gur, to the vibrant downtown Jewish community.

Our shinshinim this year, Roni Ben Zikry and Itay Buchnik, arrived in late August and have been participating in many aspects of our shul
and the schools since then.

The 14 Young Emissaries in Toronto work in over 20 institutions, including day schools,
synagogues, supplementary schools, youth movements and camps. They teach about Israel
informally through stimulating programs, informative lessons, challenging discussions, and
interesting activities, all bringing an authentic experience of Israel to a large range of members
in our community. They each live with 2-3 host families throughout their stay in Toronto, thus
providing an intense life experience for over 30 host families each year.

What are the objectives of the Makom Program?
1. To engage young people in synagogue life;
2. To reduce the gap between Diaspora and Israeli culture, society, and Jewry by nurturing
a real personal connection between young Israelis and Canadian Jews;
3. To teach about Israel as an integrated and crucial piece of our Jewish identity;
4. To provide Canadian Jews and in particular our youth a more complete understanding of
the complexity which is Israel;
5. To personalize Israel so that Jewish Canadians and in particular our youth develop an
authentic relationship with Israel, which will then allow them to be motivated to be
involved as proud advocates and defenders of Israel; and
6. To share with the shinshinim what is unique about Toronto Judaism, and Toronto’s
Jewish community, so that they are more informed leaders in Israel, specifically in the
realm of Jewish expression and Jewish pluralism

What are the Shinshinim providing to our shul community?
 Here’s what Roni and Itay are involved in at the shul:

• Shabbat services for our kids: Partnering with our own Narayever Youth Leaders, Roni and
Itay provide the Israel content as part of the high quality Shabbat programming we offer to
our kids.

• Shabbat services and Kiddush: Roni and Itay provide their unique perspective on Israel
through their weekly ”60 seconds about Israel” from the bema items, and schmoozing with
shul members at Kiddush and afterwards at zmirot and benching.

• The Narayever Chalutzim: Roni and Itay have founded the first Narayever Youth Movement.
The Chalutzim is a group of kids (12 and up) who get together regularly to learn about Israel
through a variety of activities, to develop a strong peer group who can identify with Israeli
youth and to have some fun! The activities include a movie night, an Iron Chef cooking
class, and hanging out at Snakes and Lattes.

• Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes: Roni and Itay participate in all the BBM classes, bringing their
unique perspective to this important life-cycle event. They have the opportunity to develop
relationships with the BBM kids at this turning point in their Jewish life and with the parents
who are themselves going through a major life-cycle experience.
Social Action: Roni and Itay are participating in a variety of the activities which the First
Narayever supports, including services and celebrations at Castleview-Wychwood Towers
and Kensington Gardens for the Jewish residents in those senior citizens’ homes, and the

• Out of the Cold program.

We welcome new members to our committee! If you would like more information or are interested in joining, please contact chair Micky Fraterman at israel@narayever.ca.