Sent From Israel

Ya'el Waxman jumps in where Jeff Kaye left off

ULIE WIENER
Staff Writer

he word shaliach comes
from the Hebrew root sha-
lach, meaning "to send."
And for more than 30
years, the Jewish Agency has been send-
ing these emissaries regularly to Detroit
d other communities to strengthen
Diaspora awareness of Israeli culture
and facilitate aliyah (immigration) to
Israel.
But Ya'el Waxman, who is replacing
Jeff Kaye as Detroit's community shali-
ach and director of the Michigan-Israel
Connection, says that as Israel's rela-
tionship with the Diaspora has become
more of a partnership, the "sending" is
going in both directions now
Waxman sees her role as a go-
between, helping Jews from both sides
of the ocean to understand their cultur-
al differences and find common
round.
With an impeccable command of
English and experience living in
California, Europe, South Africa and
— of course — Israel, Waxman is well-
suited for the job.

-

The daughter of a Jewish National
Fund representative and a seventh-gen-
eration Jerusalemite, Waxman says it
was her parents' commitment to
Zionism that inspired her — at age 43
— to become a shaliach.
"I always envied my parents for
being able to feel what it means creat-
ing something like Israel," said
Waxman, who took a three-year leave
of absence. from Achva College in
southern Israel, where she serves as aca-
demic dean and professor of education.
"I wanted to feel like I was really doing
something not only for me, but some-
thing much more extended for Israel."
And although shlichim used to be -
young adults looking for a chance to
get to the United States and make
some money, Waxman says middle-
aged shlichim like herself, with a combi-
nation of job experience and idealism,
are now the rule.
On a whim, Waxman answered a
newspaper ad calling for shlichim, and
embarked on a whirlwind process of
exams and interviews, culminating in
an offer from the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Although still getting her bearings,

Ya'el
Waxman:
Executive
of Israel
activities.

Waxman already has a`listpf goals:
Sending more people to Isra'il and fol-
lowing up with meaningful post-Israel
educational programs, reaching out to
unaffiliated Jews, and — as a former
ballet dancer — increasing awareness of
Israel's modern arts.
Federation Executive Vice President
Bob Aronson, who chairs the national

NW,

teens from'all over the Miavvest, coor-

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committee on shlichim, says he is
looking forward to working with
Waxman. "Her unlimited energy and
enthusiasm for her position will be an
asset," he said.
Like Waxman, Aronson feels
shlichim are not what they were in the
past. "In the past, the shaliach was a
youth worker. Now it's being executive
of Israel activities and a senior member
of Federation staff with responsibility
for interpreting Israel in the communi-
ty , helping to determine policy for our
relationship to Israel, administering
scholarship funds and developing com-
munity-wide celebrations."
Waxman credits her husband, Eldad,
and daughters Maya and Moran for
their willingness to come to Detroit
with her. Eldad has taken a leave of
absence from his job as head of the
operations for the Port of Ashdod and
will be working in a similar capacity in
Detroit's port.
Maya, 22, is working part-time
and applying to Israeli law schools,
while 15-year-old Moran is attending
North Farmington High School. "I
would not have been able to do this
without the support of my family,"
said Waxman.
Although she describes her job as
"26-hour days, eight-day weeks,"
Waxman tries to squeeze in time for
her family and her numerous interests,
which include tennis, computers, read-
ing and handicrafts.

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9/26
1997

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