JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 15
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the religious schools or youth
movements.
A sizable portion of the
Shinshinim’s job in bringing
Israel to the community is
bringing it to the younger
community — students —
who they’re able to connect
with easily considering their
close age.
Shahaf and Itamar’s main
worksite is Hillel Day School.
Ofri and Itay’s
main worksite is
Frankel Jewish
Academy. Erela’s
main worksites
are Jewish
Federation of
Detroit and
JCRC/AJC, along
with work at non-Jewish high
schools.
For the Shinshinim, work-
ing specifically in Jewish day
schools, interactions with the
students have transformed
since Oct. 7.
Before Oct. 7, the students
may have not fully understood
why the Shinshinim were
there, what their purpose was
or what their own purpose was
in relation to the Shinshinim.
Since Oct. 7, the students
have been asking for the
Shinshinim’s opinions, asking
insightful questions and show-
ing great interest in having
them around.
“They want to know how
our families and friends are.
They’re intrigued to know
about our personal lives and
perspectives about what’s
going on,
” Ofri said. “
And
because we understand they
want to hear from us, we’ll go
into classes and give them the
opportunity to ask us whatev-
er’s on their hearts.
“The importance of this,
other than the fact it’ll enrich
them, is it’ll let them know
what Israelis really feel like,
”
Ofri added. “It’s really import-
ant they have us as represen-
tatives.
”
Erela doesn’t work in a
Jewish school but has been
attending a public high
school’s monthly Jewish Club
meetings. Her experience with
those students has been some-
what different — the students
don’t necessarily want to ask
questions.
“They don’t want to know
because when your friends in
class post ‘from the river to the
sea’ and they don’t want to lose
that friend, they don’t want
to know more,” Erela said.
“They’re scared to post things
on social media. They’re
The Shinshinim attended the Detroit Friends of Israel Defense
Forces Gala.
continued on page 16
Itay
Nussbaum
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