During our Jerusalem week, we had the amazing opportunity to meet the President of Israel, Yitzhak Herzog, and some of his team.
At first, we met with Sigal Kanotopsky, the Head of the Strategy Division at the Office of the President. Any initiative that the presidential office supports is either led or developed by her.
It was an incredible opportunity to learn from and talk with someone who is very active in the world of creating change and solving issues in Israeli society. She was a great inspiration to us, showing the importance of simply going out and doing. Whether it was because of the many amazing initiatives she told us about or the potential she saw in our group, we left the conversation energized and motivated to try to make a change. We felt that we gained some tools, and mostly the confidence that there are already great people paving the way, so when we come in, there will be a lot to build on.
Straight after, we had the honor of meeting the President, which was a highlight of the week in itself. From the very start, we understood why he is the President, as we were polite (and honestly a bit starstruck), he immediately wanted to make the most of our time together. He asked us questions right away and really tried to understand what this unique program that came to see him was about. We were able to share what we had learned on our first trip to Norway, and the unique experience of living and studying, as 20 participants from all over the world. The meeting went by very fast, but we really believe we got the most out of it, and we left smiling and excited. We were happy to learn that he sees the importance and potential of Shvilim. As we were new to the whole world of activism in Jewish communities, hearing from the President about ways we can make an impact really helped us throughout the year.
Taking advantage of situations, keeping the big picture in mind, and valuing the personal connections we made in our travels are all key pillars that we began to establish there and that later shaped our year. In places like Trondheim, Norway, and Dublin, Ireland, where we had a lot of personal impact, the things we took from the meeting really showed. Everything from acting straight away and not waiting for things to happen, to making sure everyone made at least one personal connection, made the whole visit feel much more special.
One of the final topics that stayed with us from the meeting was the relationship between Jews in the diaspora and Israeli Jews, and how it can be strengthened. It was mentioned in the conversation that many Israeli teens do not always consider how what happens in Israel directly affects Jews around the world, while at the same time many diaspora youth feel less and less connected to Israel. Reflecting on this, we all agreed that programs like Shvilim can play an important role in rebuilding and deepening that connection. Whether through the communities we visit or the places our participants come from. Every “bridge” we create can help strengthen the connection within the Jewish people.
