OCTOBER 6 • 2022 | 41
that year — we all flew out the
same day. But we went back the
following year. And we continue
to go back.
MAKING AN AUTHENTIC
CONNECTION TO ISRAEL
Rich: I think the only real way
to understand Israel is to have
relationships with real people on
the ground.
Having American Jews
understand what the Israeli
point of view is — not from
the newspaper, not from CNN
and not from politics — but in
reality. What’s their culture and
world like?
I think if we spend time
bringing light to the people-to-
people aspect of it, the rest of
it becomes easier. Once there’s
a foundation of trust between
a variety of types of American
Jews and Israelis, then you can
start to have conversations about
the political stuff, the difficult
stuff. You can’t do it the other
way around.
BRINGING ISRAEL
TO DETROIT
Rich: The whole premise of
ShinShinim (recent Israeli high
school graduates who come to
America for a year of service
before joining the army) and the
Schlichim is building a personal
bridge.
When we decided to reignite
the Shaliach program about five
years ago, I was the chairman of
[Partnership2Gether].
We wound up interviewing
Nina and her family, and the
Federation hired her. I felt
professionally responsible for
making sure they were OK. The
fact that they became family was
the unexpected bonus.
Lisa: We became her
American parents and her kids’
grandparents. When she had her
third child here, the bris was at
our house. They were just here.
They went to Camp Tamarack,
continued on page 42
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Lisa Broder with Tamarack’s Becca Fishman
on an inspection trip for an upcoming Teen Mission. Rich Broder (second
from left) with Ron Dermer, Israeli Ambassador to the United States from
2013 to 2021. Also pictured is Federation’s former shlicha Nina Yahalomi
Klevitsky (far right) and her husband Omer Yahalomi (far left.) Lisa and
Richard with previous shilcha Nina Yahalomi Klevitsky and her family.
Lisa Broder (third from left) in Israel with (left to right) Jennifer Levine,
Yoav Raban, Naomi Miller, Beni Levin and Becca Fishman.