Each year on Eliezer Ben Yehuda’s birthday, the Jewish world remembers his singular impact on revitalizing the Hebrew language by observing יום עברית/Hebrew Language Day. However, the eight Shinshinim in Westchester have decided to extend this celebration throughout the month of January, bringing their unique approach to Israel engagement to thousand of young people and adults through the programming they facilitate in almost forty organizations.

The Shinshinim are select young Israelis who use their gap year to work in the diaspora prior to their service in the IDF. Posted in congregational schools, day schools, JCCs, and a range of other educational settings, they work to build a personal and positive relationship between the Jews of the community and Israel, Israelis, and Israeli culture. Hebrew programming aligns beautifully with their mission, and the group spent a morning training with Rabbi Andrew Ergas, EdD, CEO of Hebrew st the Center, learning how to to apply the approach and tools of the Amitei Ivrit program to their target audiences. This approach, originally developed in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the sponsor of the Shinshinim program, has been field-tested in over forty Jewish summer camps and is now also being utilized in congregations and day schools. Alison Bender Kellner, the Educational Coordinator for this group shared, “The interactive introduction effectively raised their interest in “why teach Hebrew” and the modeling of the games got them excited about “how to teach Hebrew. They eagerly took the Hebrew at the Center teaching tools and are looking forward to using them at many of their 30+ sites throughout Westchester.”

For more about the Amitei Ivrit program, visit the program page on the Hebrew at the Center webpage. In the meantime, we wish the Shinshinim plenty of success as they interact with their learners via a fun, innovative, annd  interactive approach to the Hebrew language and strengthen their connection to Israel.