By Alison Roemer
Senior Director of Jewish Journeys and Experiences
Alison Roemer
A Note From the Editor: 2024 marks the inauguration of The Jewish Federation’s participation in the ShinShinim program. Shinshinim, an acronym for “Year of Service” in Hebrew, brings Israeli young adults to our country so they can work in our community.
This past Nov. 10 – 12, our young ShinShinim Israeli emissaries spent three days learning and working alongside their fellow North American ShinShinim in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 11 and 12, Alison Roemer and David Siskin also spent time in Washington immersed in a larger community of ShinShinim supervisors from across the United States and Canada. We gathered to learn, share stories, network, and even play amongst our peers who are guiding Israeli ambassadors in their respective communities. As a group, we discussed how to support our ShinShinim, the best ways to help them grow personally and professionally, and how to lean on each other for guidance through the difficult times we’re all living in. The conference was organized so ShinShinim and supervisors overlapped for a few hours.
After the ShinShinim left, supervisors spent time discussing challenges and ideas for supporting them. Together the group learned how to provide boundaries and structure for our young ShinShinim, most of whom are working their first full-time jobs. There were also opportunities to meet with the Israeli-based team that supports the ShinShinim: The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), which provides mental health services, organizational skills, and ideas for programs and materials. Since this is Louisville’s inaugural year hosting ShinShinim, we joined a smaller cohort of communities who are also in the first or second years as hosts. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the program from seasoned veterans, and work with new supervisors to discover what is happening in each community.
Louisville’s ShinShinim, Eden and Kyla, enjoyed reuniting with their fellow ShinShinim, whom they met in Israel when they began training for their year of service.
Eden stated that she “had the incredible opportunity to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. focused on leadership, cultural exchange, and community building. Together with peers from Israel, we engaged in meaningful discussions about shared values and the importance of fostering connections across borders.
“The conference offered workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities that deepened our understanding of global issues and how we, as young leaders, can contribute to positive change,” Eden added. “Representing Israel in such a dynamic and collaborative environment was both inspiring and empowering. We left Washington with new ideas, strengthened friendships, and a renewed commitment to working for a better future—both in Israel and beyond.”
Kyla shared the following:
“Since arriving in Louisville, I’ve really been enjoying my time here! It’s a privilege to work in such a friendly and welcoming community every day. At the conference, we joined the GA (Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly) rally to show our support for Israel. During the event we had great conversations with other ShinShinim, and are excited to use what we’ve learned back in our community. I enjoyed sharing about the wonderful community and the work I’m doing here and getting new ideas from my friends. The conference helped me gain new skills in leadership and community building, which I’m eager to put into practice in Louisville. I can’t wait to bring more new ideas into our programs and continue working alongside such passionate people to make an even greater impact in the community!”
Each year there are over 2,000 applicants for the ShinShinim year of service through JAFI. It’s an extremely selective process which accepts only about 200 ShinShin in the United States and Canada. Kyla and Eden are amazing, vibrant and passionate — completely dedicated to their mission. Already they’ve worked with many local Jewish organizations to connect with children, young adults, adults and seniors. Their role is to support our Jewish community, educate, embrace what it means to be Jewish in the United States and bring Israeli culture to Louisville.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Kyla and Eden, we hope you’ll join one of the many programs they are leading or attending. If you’re interested in hosting one of our ShinShinim, please reach out to Abigail Goldberg, agoldberg@jewishlouisville.org. Hosts are asked to provide a home for approximately three months. Each ShinShin has their own car and is very busy in the community, but also enjoys getting to know host families and participating in family activities when they are free.
Alison Roemer is Senior Director, Jewish Journeys and Experiences at the Jewish Federation of Louisville and the Trager Family JCC