Welcoming our new Shinshinim!

Written by: Debbie Spiegel

We are pleased to announce our new Shinshinim for our upcoming school year (2020-2021)! It is hard to believe that this is the time of year that we announce our new guests to Holy Blossom. Tamar Maor and Yoav Oron are completing their Grade 12 experience and as we speak are preparing to join us along with 22 other young Israelis as UJA Federation’s Shinshinim for 2020-2021. Like many Shinshinim, Yoav and Tamar have very interesting backgrounds.

They are both very involved in their Youth Movements, spending hours each week working with younger madrichim (counsellors) who in turn, work with the children. They have a great deal of experience. They are both Physics majors, Tamar also is majoring in music and Yoav has additional strengths in computers and creating apps.

Yoav is from Kfar Yedidya, a moshav in Central Israel. Yoav has had some “Canadian experience” in his past, where he honed his English-speaking skills. His family lived in Montreal for a few years when his parents were doing a fellowship there. He is very excited to be coming back to Canada, and will be careful about wearing his Montreal Canadiens shirt in public!

Tamar is from Hod Hasharon, also in Central Israel. She is an avid dancer and has spent time in Australia (where her Mom is from) and in Los Angeles (her Dad’s hometown). Tamar has a very faint Australian accent. Her English is fantastic.

Part of the Shinshin experience is living with host families. We share these two wonderful people with Leo Baeck Day School, our partner in the program for the past 13 years. We are looking for families who are interested in sharing their home and their hearts with one of these shlichim (emissaries). If you are interested in learning more about hosting, contact Debbie Spiegel, dspiegel@holyblossom.org