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May 25, 2001/Sivan 3, 5761, Vol. 53, No.34
Israel Center shaliach strives for solidarity
BARRY COHEN
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 Eitan Ben Ami wants Valley residents to experience Israel firsthand. Photo by Barry Cohen |
Eitan Ben Ami, the new shaliach of the Israel Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, has accepted the challenge to strengthen the bonds connecting the Valley Jewish community with Jews not only in Israel, but also throughout the world.
"I want us to look at the big picture. It's not only my synagogue or my JCC. We're part of a whole people," he explains.
Ben Ami visited the Valley in May and will return full time in August.
In the past, the shaliach - Hebrew for "emissary" or "messenger" - focused on encouraging aliyah (immigration to Israel), he says.
"Now one of the goals is to strengthen the Jewish identity of the people who live here," he adds.
At the same time, Ben Ami hopes to teach Valley residents, particularly youth, about the history, culture and people of Israel and provide opportunities to experience it firsthand.
The "AZ Cool" program allows high-school students to go to Israel, guided by the shaliach, who hopes to stay in contact with them once they return, says Ben Ami.
Activities include swimming in the Dead Sea, rafting, biking and snorkeling. Shmulik Lahar, the current shaliach, will lead this summer's tour, June 14-July 12.
Last year, 96 pupils participated in the program; this year, the number has dropped to 44, says Lahar. There would have been more if not for the Intifada, he explains.
Another program is "Birthright Israel," a free trip available for those 18-26 years old, who have never participated on an organized Israeli trip.
According to the Web site, www.birthrightisrael.com, a partnership of philanthropists, federations and the state of Israel provides funding. The philanthropists include the Abramson Family Foundation, Andrea and Charles Bronfman and S. Daniel Abraham, among others.
Some 180 Arizonans went on Birthright trips last year, says Lahar.
Ben Ami wants as many youth as possible to experience Israel firsthand, in order to plant the desire to return at a later date, perhaps for a semester of study in college.
Another goal is to increase an awareness of other Diaspora communities, such as Jews in the former Soviet Union or South America, he says. Ben Ami wants Valley Jews to realize they have a connection with Jews wherever they may be.
Ben Ami, 38, was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Ramat Gan. He has also been the shaliach of the southeast region of Young Judea, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. During his three-year commitment, he traveled throughout Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, the Carolinas and Puerto Rico, among other places.
In between Florida and Arizona, Ben Ami returned to Israel for a job with the Tel Aviv municipality, organizing volunteer work and tzedakah (righteous acts) programs for youth groups.
Ben Ami is a fourth-generation Israeli; however, his family is from Yemen. When they arrived in Israel, they changed their name from Awami to "Ben Ami," which means "son of my people."
"We were part of the many newcomers who changed their names to sound more authentic," he remarks.
Ben Ami says the shifting relationship between American and Israeli Jews encourages him.
"Each one recognizes the importance of the other and works to help each other. And that's the way it should be," he says.
The American Jewish community continues to feel the preciousness of the bond between America and Israel. What strengthens this bond are trips to Israel, attending Jewish summer camps in the United States and participating in Jewish youth group, he explains.
In addition to AZ Cool and Birthright programming, Ben Ami says he plans to emphasize a third way to visit Israel, "Partnership 2000," which enables Valley Jews to meet Israelis face-to-face. Phoenix's Partnership 2000 city is Kiryat Malachi. This is the same city federation officials visited on their solidarity mission last fall.
According to the United Jewish Communities Web site, www.jewishcommunities.org, Partnership 2000 links Diaspora communities with Israeli towns. Started in 1995, it works to unite federation representatives with Israeli professionals and entrepreneurs to develop the Negev and Galilee economies and immigrant absorption.
Partnership 2000 strengthens the relationship between Diaspora and Israeli Jews beyond money and typical tourism, says Ben Ami.
He recognizes that because of the ongoing violence, many people, especially parents, are hesitant to visit Israel or allow their children to go.
But in the Valley, if violence occurs in Mesa, people do not start avoiding the shopping centers in Scottsdale, he points out.
Ben Ami stresses that the tours are secure and the itinerary is adjusted to avoid dangerous spots.
"I'm not going to say that nothing is going on in Israel, that it is only milk and honey," he says. "It was never milk and honey. We're still struggling for our independence and our borders."