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.

