Teens

Working Her

LISA FEIN

Special to the Jewish News

T

he organized Jewish corn-
munity has added a liaison
to help teenagers strength-
en their Jewish identity
through a deeper appreciation for the
Jewish homeland.
Bat-Ami Abas, who in Israel served
in the army and as a youth counselor,
has joined the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's
Michigan/Israel Connection as com-
munity youth shlichah, Israel emis-
sary, under the stewardship of com-
munity shaliach Mark Myers.
"Detroit becomes the big winner,"
Myers said. "They have an experi-
enced and well--qualified person in
Bat-Ami. I have seen her in action. It
is magic. She believes in what she
does."
He added, "She is real and is right
there working with the students. She
doesn't need to start from the begin-
ning, since she has been in Detroit.
Her infrastructure and vision is
already here."
Abas, 32, came to Michigan in
November 1998 to become shlichah
for the Habonim/Dror youth move-
ment in Michigan. She will divide
her professional time between the two
part-time shlichah positions until she
returns to Israel.
"I am very excited about the new
position," Abas said. "I find it self-
fulfilling doing something for the
community."
Abas eagerly looks forward to
meeting with young people and com-
munal leaders who rely on the
Michigan/Israel Connection for sup-
port and programming. She'll work
with youth organizations, congrega-
tional schools and day schools.
Meanwhile, the twin shlichah
opportunities will help deepen her
Detroit roots. "I feel at home here in
Michigan," Abas said. "I have a lot of
help from people. I never have to
spend the holidays alone."

Israeli Roots

Deeply concerned about Mideast ten-
sions, Abas said, "I went home for
Rosh Hashanah and went to visit a
friend. I was told that I should not go
10 minutes further due to fighting.
My brother drove about an hour
from where we live and the road was

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2000
U2

Magic

Jewish Detroit. She believes a council
would be self-sustaining once the
momentum builds. "I want to learn
from high school-age teens about
Jewish American life," she said. "And
I want to bring to them my Israeli
lifestyle and background."

Remembering Rabin

Emissary will focus
on building stronger ties
between Israel
and Detroit teens.

blocked on his return. He had to find
another way home. The current
mood in Israel is very tense and
somber."
She added, "I hope there will be
peace in Israel some day. I am happy
to be here, but I am worried at the
same time for my family's safety at
home."
Abas has been a youth counselor on
Kibbutz Hanita, near the Lebanon bor-
der. She spent two years in the Israeli
army and another two years teaching
disadvantaged soldiers. She also taught
in Israel's Druze community.
Abas has visited Cyprus, Italy,
London, Paris, South Africa,

Switzerland and Turkey. She attended
Haifa University in Israel for three
years, studying philosophy and litera-
ture. A course in tour management
qualifies her as an overseas tour guide.
She plans to work toward college
graduation when she returns to Israel
in September 2001.
On her kibbutz, she works with
children in an after-school day care
program and also with high school
students in an informal after-school
program.
Abas wants to form a community
youth council through the
Michigan/Israel Connection to bring
together teens from throughout

Right now, the Michigan/Isr iel
Connection is in the midst of educat-
ing the community about the legacy
of Yitzhak Rabin, the late Israeli
prime minister assassinated five years
ago this November.
The educational experience is
intended to help raise community
and youth awareness about Rabin,
the tenuous peace process and what
Israel means to American Jewry.
In preparing for a memorial service
next month, Myers and Abas have
been visiting synagogue youth groups
since September to share Rabin's
vision. "We don't look at the affilia-
tion to present our program," Abas
said. "It has been given to Orthodox,
Reform, Conservative and [Secular]
Humanistic Jews."
"The response to the Rabin educa-
tional program has been tremen-
dous," Myers said. "It is very emo-
tional to see the kids' reactions."
He related a story about a parent
who heard her son discuss the peace
process. "She mentioned that she
didn't know her son had an opinion
on the peace process. Clearly, we have
touched people."
The Rabin educational program
includes a youth essay contest in
addition to the memorial service, to
be held 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov.
11, at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield. A
David Broza concert follows the
service, which is part of the Jewish
Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit's 49th annual
Jewish Book Fair.
Helping Jewish Detroiters learn
more about why they should care
about a biblical land 6,000 miles
away is central to what he and Abas
are trying to accomplish, Myers said.
"Our goal," he said, "is to
strengthen what exists, and create
what doesn't, to create a strong Jewish
community where Israel plays an
important part. We want to bring
Israel to Detroiters and Detroiters to
Israel."

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