Shin Shinim
The annual young emissary program brings 18-year-olds from the Sovev Kinneret region to Milwaukee to spend a pre-army year doing volunteer service abroad, a “Sh’nat Sherut” organized in cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel. The Shin Shinim are involved in a variety of activities, connecting them to area public schools, to American teens, and to Jewish organizations such as synagogue religious schools, Hillel Milwaukee and Camp Interlaken. During the week, they work at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School and Gan Ami Early Childhood Education at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. The Shin Shinim stay with host families during their service year, forming close and often lifelong family friendships.
Meet the 24-25 Shin Shinim
Amit and Maya
Amit Fridman Merav is from Moshav Salit. In high school, he majored in chemistry and biology. Amit trained in copoeira, a type of martial arts. Throughout high school, he participated in the Israeli Center for Young Leaders, a young ambassadors program. Amit enjoys swimming, cooking, and traveling.
Maya Eliyahou arrives to us from Shoham in the center of Israel. In high school, Maya majored in Biology and Bible. She has been in the Israeli Scouts since the 4th grade and was a counselor for the scouts in high school. Maya enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, arts, and photography.
Both Amit and Maya are excited to volunteer this year with many organizations, to meet people, share their love of Israel, and make wonderful connections with their host families and the larger community.
Be sure to follow Amit and Maya on social for all the latest updates
Host a Shin Shin
Israel at Home
Become a host family and provide a safe space for Israelis to spend their year of service while connecting you and your family with a global Jewish community.
Make an essential connection to the people of Israel.
We’re looking for a family to host a young, vibrant, and passionate Israeli ambassador for a 5-month engagement. As a host family, you become part of a cherished Milwaukee Shin Shin family with a 20-year history of success. Lifelong bonds are made between you and the Shin Shin while becoming integral part of the longstanding Israel–Milwaukee connection.
Have a little extra room in your heart and home?
In return, Shin Shinim make Israel come alive in your home. They bring first-hand cultural access and impart a strong, positive understanding of Israel’s ideals to the Jewish people. This fosters a sense of pride and creates an authentic connection to our homeland for you and your family, while developing a personal relationship with a future leader of Israel.
Ready to open your home to Israel?
Host Family Testimonial
Watch the Carneol Family. They share their experience as a host family and how the Shin Shinim became new family members.
Want to talk to a past Shin Shin host family?
Contact Susie Rosengarten, P2G Coordinator, at 414-390-5762.
Past Shin Shinim
2023-2024: Tom and Eitan
Thank you, Tom and Eitan, for visiting Milwaukee! We were so excited for them to connect with everyone in the Milwaukee Jewish community and beyond. Tom was from Moshavat Kinnert and majored in Biotechnology. Eitan was from Kfar Tavor and majored in Diplomacy.
2022-2023: Orri and Maya
Orri and Maya arrived in Milwaukee in August 2022! Orri is from Kfar Tavor (the same hometown as Gal!) and is majoring Communications & Cinema Diplomacy. Maya is from Ne’ot Golan in southern Golan Heights and majoring in Theatre, Biology, and Social Science.
2021-2022: Gal and Itay
Gal & Itay arrived in Milwaukee in August 19, 2021. Gal is from Kfar Tavor, a small village in the north of Israel, and Itay is from Hadera, a city between Tel Aviv and Haifa. Both Gal and Itay were involved in youth movements in Israel.
2020-2021: Noam
Noam joined our community virtually from Israel in September 2020. Noam is from Tzur Moshe, a moshav in the Sharon region. In school, Noam studied graphic design and biology. Noam enjoys baking, hiking and traveling as hobbies and volunteers as a first responder and counselor for Magen David Adom.
2019-2020: Khen and Omer
Khen and Omer arrived in Milwaukee at the end of August 2019. Khen is from Karmiel, a city in northern Israel, and Omer is from Kibbutz Degania Alef. In school, Khen studied electronics, physics and computer science while Omer studied Arabic, biology and music. Omer enjoys playing saxophone, piano, guitar and drums, playing in his band called “HaRaftanim” and playing sports.
2018-2019: May and Yogev
May and Yogev arrived in Milwaukee in August 2018. They have grown up in different communities – May from Tiberias and Yogev from a moshav called Moshav Arbel. May is studying psychology and sociology and loves hip hop dancing. Yogev is studying cinema and theater and enjoys traveling, photography and writing stories.
2017-2018: Omri and Amit
Omri and Amit were in Milwaukee from August 2017 until July 2018. Omri is from a village called Lehavim in the southern part of Israel, and Amit is from a moshav called Kidmat Tzvi in the Golan Heights. Orm studied physics, biology and agriculture in high school, has been involved in many youth movements in Israel. Amit studies biology and theater in high school, enjoys traveling and drawing and has been involved with the teen leadership program Diller.
Shin Shin’s Impact on Milwaukee
Watch a “day in the life” of a Shin Shin and how they impact the Milwaukee Jewish community in small everyday ways.
