OWN CORRESPONDENT
The shinshinim are Israeli high school graduates who travel abroad to cultivate stronger connections to Israel in diaspora communities. Noga Yadin, Lior Knino, Maya Yitshak, and Linoy Ben Basat all delayed mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces to serve as emissaries, and were chosen after a long and meticulous selection process by the Jewish Agency.
They will arrive in South Africa this month, and work within King David in Johannesburg. The school network educates more than 3 300 students across five campuses.
The Jewish Agency’s shinshinim programme enables diaspora communities – including in South Africa, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and elsewhere – to cultivate authentic relationships with these young Israeli ambassadors before they enter the army. Last Thursday, all 200 shinshinim who are serving worldwide this year completed a six-month course.
“When it comes to fostering deeper relationships between Israel and world Jewry, we have learned that there is simply no substitute for the genuine, educational, and growth-promoting person-to-person interactions between Israeli emissaries and the communities they serve,” said Herzog. He was in South Africa for the conference of the South African Zionist Federation.
