10 | NOVEMBER 21 • 2024 

different backgrounds, I think 
we’re learning a lot about ourselves, 
about Judaism and even about 
Israel. Even though that’s what 
we’re teaching, we also have been 
learning a lot.”
Nisan has friends who have been 
Shinshinim before, and they’ve built 
it up, but he says it still exceeds 
those expectations. 
“Something that’s really surprised 
me is just how nice the people here 
are,” Nisan says. “I was talking with 
my mom, and I was like, ‘Why are 
people so nice to me?’ They want 
to take you everywhere, invite you 
to dinner and talk with you. It’s an 
incredible experience.” 
A highlight for Nisan was going 
to a Detroit Pistons game with Ofir. 
“I’m a big basketball guy; it’s 
something I’ve been following for 
a long time. Suddenly, all these 
players I’ve seen on YouTube for 

years and years are right in front of 
me. That was crazy,” he says. 
Ori has enjoyed meeting new 
people as well as attending the two 
concerts she was invited to in the 
same weekend: Usher and Charlie 
XCX & Troye Sivan. “Everybody’s 
been so generous,” she says. 
Shoshana Fain, the Shinshinim 
coordinator, says it’s 
been exciting to see all 
the fun things they get 
to do and people they 
get to meet.
“I constantly have 
people saying, ‘When 
can we host the 
Shinshinim? We want to have them 
in our sukkah. We want to have 
them for Shabbat. We want to take 
them to a game.’ So many people in 
the community have reached out, 
wanting the opportunity to spend 
time with them, show them around 

and take them to exciting places,” 
she says.

OCT. 7 COMMEMORATION
The previous Shinshinim cohort 
were in Detroit for the Oct. 7 
tragedy and ensuing war. The 2024-
25 Shinshinim were in Israel for the 
attacks but spent the recent one-
year anniversary here in Detroit. 
It was a bittersweet day for them 
— with mixed feelings about being 
away from home, but at the same 
time receiving love and support in 
their new home in the Motor City. 
More than 4,000 members 
of the Jewish community 
attended the “Oct. 7th — One 
Year Commemoration” event at 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in 
Southfield, the same place that held 
the community vigil just days after 
the 2023 attacks.
The Shinshinim stood on the 

bimah and recited a Prayer for 
Israel during the event. Shira 
played a solemn violin solo of 
“Shir Lama’alot” to the backdrop 
of photos of all those who were 
murdered on that day. Shira and the 
other Shinshinim were taken aback 
by how special it was. 
“Just seeing the amount of 
support there is here for Oct. 7 
and how it’s still so important for 
everyone — we knew people were 
talking about it here, but didn’t 
know to what extent,” Shira says. 
“That event was so empowering, 
and it was so nice to see that this is 
the community we got to come to.” 
“All my life, I learned about the 
connection between the Jewish 
people, but that was in Israel. 
Seeing it in a different country, that 
true connection was an incredible 
experience,” Ofir adds. 
“Everyone there could’ve used 

“OUR COMMUNITY IS TRULY INDEBTED TO THE JEWISH AGENCY AND OUR 
OWN FEDERATION ISRAEL AND OVERSEAS LEADERSHIP FOR BRINGING SUCH A 
MARVELOUS GROUP OF SPECIAL AND IMPRESSIVE YOUNG PEOPLE TO WORK AND 
UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITY.”

— GARY TORGOW, PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF DETROIT

Shoshana 
Fain

OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY

continued from page 9

