
James and Andrew’s Jewish Journey
By Rabbi Adam Drucker, Director of Education for Young Judaea
After deciding to stay in Israel following October 7, James Shmurak and Andrew Leibovitch found their connection to their Jewish identity growing exponentially. Their original purpose for coming to Israel was to take time to discover who they were and to explore their identities. However, lacking a strong connection to a Jewish community in the U.S., neither of them had the opportunity to formally celebrate their Bar Mitzvah or grapple with their Jewish identity.
Both had heard about the highly popular program “Road Trip with the Rabbi” and decided to give it a try. Throughout the trip, they developed a strong bond with our Director of Education, Rabbi Adam. They marked the conclusion of this chapter in their Jewish journey by celebrating their Bnei Mitzvah in Israel. On the final Shabbat of the program, James and Andrew received Aliyot, expressing their joy at learning to recite the necessary prayers, and celebrated this special occasion with their Year Course family.
