Federation's Israel Office welcomes new shaliachThe Israel Office of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix has hired a new community shaliach, emissary, from Israel, named Shmulik "Samuel" Lahar. The former emissary, Na'ama Gal, recently returned to Israel.Lahar comes to the Valley with his wife, Rina, and 14-year-old son, Dvir. The family most recently lived in Holon, Israel, where Lahar worked as a strategic planner, and his wife as a city planner. The couple's daughter, 19-year-old Hela, is remaining in Israel, where she is a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. Lahar was born in a refugee camp in Romania to Holocaust survivors. He moved to Israel in 1951 and later served in the military during the Six Day War. He has bachelor's degrees in education, geography and world history from the University of Tel Aviv, where he also received master's degrees in urban planning and world history. He was selected as a Wexner Israel Fellow to study at Harvard University, where he received his master of public adminstration, and he went on to earn his Ph.D. in economic history at the University of Minnesota. Lahar has worked as a high school teacher, tour guide, a community shaliach in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., and as executive director of 16 community centers and youth organizations. His new position at the federation's Israel office involves providing a first-hand account of Israel and Israeli customs and traditions to members of the Phoenix-area Jewish community. 
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