JF&CS is a proud partner of the Schoenbaum Shinshinim program, a year-long initiative for young Israelis to volunteer in Jewish communities worldwide before beginning their service in the Israel Defense Forces. This year, Liri and Rotem, recent high school graduates, bring energy, culture, and a love of Israel into our community. Through this partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Shinshinim serve as living bridges between Israel and Jewish life abroad.

Bridging Cultures and Combating Antisemitism

“While the goal of this program wasn’t specifically to combat antisemitism, having our first Shinshinim, Matan, placed right before the terror attacks on October 7 provided an invaluable perspective to JF&CS and the broader Atlanta community,” said Lauren Harris, Ph.D., Director of Leadership & Volunteer Engagement.

Their presence helps deepen understanding of Israel’s complexities, creates empathy, and counters misinformation. Jenn Handel, Director of Israel Engagement at Federation, adds, “The Shinshinim help combat antisemitism by making Israel personal again. They were high school students on October 7th, they lived it…it puts a real face to all the noise. Those real connections make it harder for misinformation and antisemitic narratives to stick.”

Shinshinim in Action at JF&CS

This is the third year JF&CS has served as a work site. As the program expanded beyond synagogues and day schools, our nonsectarian IndependenceWORKS (IW) day program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) became a natural fit. Many of the Shinshinim have experience with I/DD communities in Israel and working here offers a new perspective.

At IW, Liri and Rotem lead interactive programming about Israeli culture, from exploring holidays to cooking Israeli cuisine. Clients enjoy dynamic lessons, while the volunteers gain hands-on experience in a diverse, inclusive setting guided by values of dignity, inclusion, and service.

Connecting Across Atlanta

The Atlanta cohort includes eight Shinshinim, each working at multiple placements. Liri and Rotem spend one day a week at JF&CS, contributing to I/DD programming, connecting with clients, and helping at Cafe Europa. They will also participate in Family Mitzvah Day on January 18th and partner with our Chaplain, Rabbi Bram, to engage staff and clients in holidays like Sukkot and Hanukkah.

While the Shinshinim serve as ambassadors of Israel, they’ve also been soaking in Southern culture. “It’s cool to learn the Judaism of the Atlanta community,” said Liri, as Naama added, “Atlanta feels like home." The teens have even picked up the lingua franca of the South: “My highlight is college football,” Omer shared with a laugh, sharing that he specifically roots for the Georgia Bulldogs — and is now a fan of pickup trucks, too. These moments reflect how fully the cohort is embracing not only Jewish life in Atlanta, but the warmth, humor, and everyday rhythms of Southern culture.

JF&CS is honored to host the Schoenbaum Shinshinim and is grateful for the energy, dedication, and cultural knowledge they bring to our clients and the broader Atlanta community. In a post–October 7 world, these personal connections to Israel and our partner agencies are more meaningful than ever.