Far from home, Israeli teen envoys in Diaspora show Israeli grit and resilience

NEW YORK — Noa, 18, and her friends were walking in downtown Chicago when shouts of “Free Palestine” and “Death to Israel” stopped them in their tracks.

The teens had been recognized as Israelis, and several men in a black pickup truck hollered slurs at them amplified by loudspeakers. The incident was disturbing, said Noa, but paled in comparison to the pain she feels on a daily basis since the Hamas massacres of October 7 that saw some 1,400 people murdered — mostly civilians — and over 240 taken hostage, 30 of them children.

“As an Israeli, I feel that I have to go through these difficulties with my country and being here kind of makes me feel guilty,” said Noa, originally from Kiryat Gat.

Noa is one of dozens of young Israeli volunteers serving the Jewish state from abroad during a “gap year” between high school and their mandatory army service. The competitive program sends youth to Diaspora communities and has long been a signature of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).

In conversations with 13 volunteers based around the world, The Times of Israel learned of the challenges facing these young ambassadors, as well as their remarkable resilience during unprecedented times for Israel and global Jewry.

“I know deep down that it’s not my fault, but seeing my friends either protecting my house or contributing in other ways is hard,” said Noa, who — like everyone interviewed — arrived in her host community just two months ago.

“But what was most difficult was knowing the people who died, and not being there even for their funeral,” said Noa.

‘I never thought I could do this’

Since arriving in Toronto two months ago, 17-year old Tamar has volunteered at a Jewish school, synagogues, and youth movements.

“This has been hard in a way that I couldn’t have imagined it would be like when I came here,” said Tamar, who grew up in a moshav near Ashdod.

Following the Hamas massacres and surge of global antisemitism, JAFI barred the volunteers from going into downtown Toronto, said Tamar.

“The feeling of being away from home but doing something I never thought I could do, it’s so hard, but it’s also one of the most important things I will do in my life,” said Tamar.

Alongside Tamar in Toronto is Elay, 18, from Kiryat Ono. His projects in the city include volunteering at a Montessori school, a synagogue, and Canadian Young Judaea.

When Elay first learned of the extent of Hamas’s massacres, he said he felt shame.

“They surprised us another time and I thought we’d learned from the past [Yom Kippur War] but we didn’t,” Elay told The Times of Israel.

There have been small consolations in recent days, said Elay, such as 26,000 Israel supporters gathering in Toronto for a rally.

“Me and my fellows were born to a life with wars and as sad as it sounds, we’re used to it,” said Elay. “I feel like now is the time to bring positivity to the people here,” he said.

Elay was not the only young ambassador to tell The Times of Israel he felt shame following the massacres.

“At first, I felt really shame about the fact I’m far away, but then I felt proud about the idea of being the face of Israel abroad and doing things that most people do not get to do,” said Lidor, 18, now in Pittsburgh, originally from Misgav.

“The whole time I have been disconnected from reality,” said Lidor. “The difference between the Israeli experience and fear, compared to the everyday life in the US, it can drive you crazy,” he said.

Based with Elay and Tamar in Toronto is Sharon, 18, who also remarked on the dissonance between everyday life in North America and Israel.

“It feels very odd walking freely on the street while talking to a friend who is hiding in a bomb shelter and is not able to walk outside,” said Sharon.

“One of the hardest things is dealing with the feeling of guilt. A lot of us, including myself, are feeling extremely guilty about being abroad, while our loved ones are fighting for their lives,” said Sharon, from Mevaseret Zion.

“The past three weeks have been incredibly overwhelming,” Sharon added.

‘I will feel that we really lost’

In Durban, South Africa, a pair of Shinshiniot — a Hebrew acronym referring to those performing their “year of service”; the masculine form is Shinshinim — are serving a Jewish community of about 1,000 people, said Nitzan, 18, from Kfar Adumim.

“A week ago there was a pro-Palestinian march two blocks from my home,” said Nitzan, who said she has drawn inspiration from Rabbi Leo Dee’s response to the murder of his wife and two daughters by Hamas terrorists earlier this year.

“I remembered seeing all the people coming to him after what happened and I realized how important it is to raise your head, like he did,” said Nitzan, who added the “spirit of the Jewish people” was evident after Dee’s loss.

“It’s small waves that go together to make spirit. This is what we are trying to do here. It’s no one action or speech or activity,” said Nitzan.

Working and living with Nitzan is Liya, 18, from Petah Tikvah. Both women observe Jewish holidays and Shabbat and did not learn details of the Hamas massacres until two days later, said Liya.

“I had a couple of days of real depression. I thought about coming back to Israel. But some people from the community here, Israelis, they came to us and are taking care of us, and we are staying now,” said Liya.

According to Nitzan, the situation of the Jewish people today is analogous to the Yom Kippur War, when “Jewish spirits were raised and we saw you can win a war with spirit,” she said.

“This is what Liya and I are trying to do here,” said Nitzan. “Right now we need to give Israel that spirit,” she said.

In addition to Liya, other Jewish Agency ambassadors spoke about the emotional and mental health toll taken by three weeks of war.

“The last three weeks have not been easy. We saw and heard everything that was happening in Israel and felt that we were watching all the disasters from the sidelines,” said Omri, 18, now in Las Vegas and originally from Ramat Gan.

“In the first few days I didn’t want to leave the house and go to work, because I felt they wouldn’t understand what I was feeling,” said Omri, who has since found solace in fundraising activities to help Israel, including a bake sale that raised $7,000.

Omri is one of several who told The Times of Israel he will not alter his appearance to hide from bigots on the street.

“It is still important to me not to change my external characteristics, whether it is shirts with Hebrew words or a Star of David necklace. If I hide it, I will feel that we really lost,” said Omri.

Of course, not all volunteers are as comfortable appearing with Jewish or Israeli symbols in public.

“We walk around the city in fear, hiding Jewish and Israeli symbols, and try not to speak in Hebrew,” said Noam, now in Pittsburgh, originally from Karmiel.

For her entire life, said Noam, Israel and Judaism have been a source of pride.

“I was born and raised in a Zionist family, with a father who has been working as a police officer for almost 30 years and two sisters serving as officers in the army,” said Noam.

“I haven’t spoken to my eldest sister since the war broke out because she is so busy working, and I worry about her,” said Noam. “I worry about both of them and do my best to support them from afar,” she said.

Another volunteer who identified as a “proud Zionist” was Halel, 18, who is serving in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a region notorious for anti-Israel activities.

“The past three weeks have been a scenario I have never imagined coming,” said Halel, who is from Hod Hasharon. “I live in the Berkeley area, and the pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas protest and marches that take place here are really scary not even as an Israeli, but as a Jew,” she said.

‘I know I am making an impact’

While some volunteers were placed in hotbeds of anti-Israel activity such as Durban and Berkeley, others were placed in cities with comparatively low levels of antisemitism.

“Antisemitism isn’t widely present here, but there was a very worrying protest in front of the embassy and sometimes you get photos of antisemitic graffiti,” said Eitan, 18, who is based in Mexico City and originally from Shoham.

“There were two accounts of physical assault,” Eitan told The Times of Israel. “The general public here isn’t really informed of the situation and sometimes it causes problems.”

Eitan was one of several youths who expressed having felt intense fear in recent weeks. Another was Liron, 17, who is based in Denver.

“I think what I mostly felt in the past weeks is fear,” said Liron, originally from Sde Boker.

“This feeling of being so far from your friends, family and people in this terrible time is unimaginably hard. Even though I know I am making an impact on so many people in the community here,” said Liron.

In Denver, there are four Jewish Agency volunteers in public schools across the city. The experience has helped Liron deal with the trauma surrounding being away from home during wartime, she said.

“We participate in Jewish clubs that are open to Jews and non-Jews as well,” said Liron. “In the past weeks, we went to all 11 high schools and engaged with hundreds of teens. Probably around 700,” she said.

Another young ambassador immersed in Israel education is Ofek, originally from Shoham. Serving in Los Angeles, Ofek said the past few weeks were “the toughest I’ve ever experienced.”

“I constantly think about my mom, my sister who is a soldier, and even my pets that are probably terrified by the alarms and are also in danger,” said Ofek, whose cousin — Sgt. Ben Rubenstein, 20, from Hod Hasharon  — was murdered by Hamas terrorists in the defense of Sderot on October 7.

To educate the public about the conflict, Ofek volunteers at the nonprofit TalkIsrael to “change the conversation about Israel online by guiding young content creators and helping them reach more young people,” he said.

Like other volunteers, Ofek said he faces security restrictions, event cancellations, and even physical threats.

For example, part of Ofek’s service is managing the local Israel Scouts, where 150 students in 3rd through 12th grade have raised thousands of dollars for Israel since October 7.

However, said Ofek, some Israel Scouts activities were canceled due to “threats made against Jewish individuals,” he said.

Undeterred, Ofek went to public spaces on Saturday to place signs with photos of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. His “heart was racing” while he affixed the posters, he said, fearful that bigots would spot him and potentially attack.

In the meantime, as a young ambassador, Ofek answers some of the same questions many times on a daily basis, he said. Chief among them is how is his family doing in Israel.

“My answer is always the same: they are not okay, and I always tell my story about my family member who was lost, so they will understand how it feels to be an Israeli and to lose someone because they were protecting a neighborhood from terrorists. Being proud of him and yet, sad,” said Ofek.