‘Embracing Israel’ is goal of CJP and Pardes partnership

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By Shannon Levitt | Jewish News Staff Writer | Aug 15, 2024

Not every Jew in Greater Phoenix has the opportunity to travel to Israel to get to know the country firsthand. Happily, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP) and Pardes Jewish Day School have partnered to bring a little bit of Israel to town in the form of a shlichah (emissary).

With the assistance of the Jewish Agency for Israel, a nonprofit organization whose mission since its founding in 1929 has been “to secure a vibrant Jewish future for generations to come,” CJP and Pardes have arranged for a shlichah to be based in the Valley for the enhancement of the Jewish community’s connection to Israel and its people.

The Jewish Agency’s shlichim are selectively chosen and extensively trained to “engage with Jewish and non-Jewish people about Israel, teach Jewish heritage and speak about issues of national and religious identity” in their adopted communities.

“The benefit of having a shlichah is that it’s someone whose whole life is about Israel,” Pardes Head of School Michelle Bernat told Jewish News. “Shlichim are immersed in the country’s history as well as current events, and can bridge that gap for folks who haven’t had the opportunity to go or who really want to continue their connection to Israel. It’s an important way of embracing Israel.”

CJP CEO Richard Kasper echoed that sentiment.

“Our community shlichut program will help bring Jewish history, Israeli culture and traditions to Greater Phoenix. The program will be a resource for building Jewish pride and strengthening Jewish identity — especially for those who haven’t had the privilege of visiting or living in Israel,” he told Jewish News in an email.

It’s personal for Rachel Hoffer, CJP board chair. Growing up in Florida, the shlichah she knew was an important part of her community.

“I have such fond and meaningful memories of our times together,” Hoffer told Jewish News in a text. “I believe others will have this same experience and the program will serve as a bridge from Arizona to Israel, providing long-lasting connection through the heart of the Jewish community — our people.”

Hoffer is on Jewish Agency’s board of governors, as well as the board chair of Jewish Agency for Israel-North America.

Sapir, Greater Phoenix’s shlichah, will strengthen the community’s connection to Israel and its people by offering classes and programming around Israel’s history and culture. She will work with several organizations in the Valley.

Kaylie Medansky, CJP’s vice president of community engagement, will meet with Sapir regularly to fine-tune her outreach to the community, see what’s working and what’s not.

“CJP is committed to Israel and Jews overseas, something that’s a core component of our mission,” Medansky said.

She recently traveled to Israel herself and said it was a great opportunity to get to know Israeli women “who shared their experiences of growing up and living in Israel, on Oct. 7 and since, and I’m excited to bring an Israeli to share her experiences with our Phoenix community.”

Bernat sees clear advantages for Pardes’ students in their future interactions with Sapir. First, she can provide the hands-on impact when it comes to history, language or art projects based on Israel or with Israeli themes. One idea that has already been floated, for example, is student-made three-dimensional maps of Israel, which will give kids much more familiarity with the geography of Israel, something that has become increasingly important since Oct. 7.

After Hamas’ attack on Israel last fall, Pardes’ students have been exchanging videos with middle and high school students in Israel, in which they talk about what it’s like to be a Jew in the United States, specifically in Arizona, during Israel’s time of war. Israeli students have shared what it’s like being a student there and the importance of having American allies. Pardes’ kids speak in Hebrew, while the Israeli kids speak in English.

“One of the things that we talk about is understanding that when bad things happen, we come together as a community, we pray together as a community, but we also have hope as a community,” Bernat said. “My hope is that Sapir will come and help us harness the energy around what’s happening to make a positive impact.”

More than that, getting to know Sapir will provide students “a beautiful opportunity to have a connection in Israel so that when they get to go one day, they already know someone there. It’s a special byproduct of having this kind of a program,” Bernat said, something she knows from experience.

“I still talk to a shlichah from one of my other schools. I still know her, and my students who are now grown still visit her in Israel,” Bernat said. “It can be a really beautiful partnership when shlichim really immerse themselves into the community and the community partners with them.” JN

Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.

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