L’hitraot Amit!

Three years. Who would have believed it?

I arrived in New York in September 2023, and from the very beginning, Young Judaea welcomed me with open arms. One month later, the world changed in ways none of us could have imagined, and so did the reality of my shlichut. Through three constantly changing years, we grew, brought countless programs and conventions to life, and created meaningful moments for hundreds of chanichim across the country. Along the way, Young Judaea became a home for me, too.

I had the privilege of being Young Judaea’s first shaliach in many years and helping plant the seeds of a new chapter for the movement. Now, it’s time to pass the responsibility into new, fresh hands. I’m so happy to welcome Mai, YJ’s new Central Shlicha, and wish her the very best as she builds on what we’ve achieved and plants plenty of seeds of her own! A huge thank you to our National Mazkirut and all of the incredible YJ teams, staff, and advisors I’ve had the privilege of working alongside. I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished, but I know this is only the beginning.

Now, I’m packing up my home in New York and preparing to return to Israel. I’m incredibly happy to be going home, but I already miss it, including the little things, like Saturday night Havdallah and Rikkud. What can beat that?! Most of all, thank you to every person I met, worked with, learned from, and shared this journey with. The YJ journey is never really over, and I can now say for sure that I’m a Judaean for life. Until we meet again, in the U.S., Israel, or anywhere else around the globe.

Forever yours,

Amit