This summer has been hot and Israelis Amit Rabin and Ariel Cowan have taken notice. They’re working at J Camp at the Jewish Community Center (The J) and spending most of their day outdoors. Cowan said Israel is hot, but the humidity here makes it feel much hotter. “I didn’t plan to sweat so much,” said Cowan with a laugh.
Rabin and Cowan, 21 and 20 years old respectively, were brought to Kansas City through the shlichim program. Each year The Jewish Agency for Israel chooses about 1,500 shlichim, or emissaries, from more than 10,000 applicants. These shlichim are placed at Jewish organizations around the world to strengthen community members’ Jewish identities and provide a personal connection to Israel through education about the country.
The J benefits greatly from hosting shlichim for a few months and the organization recognizes how big the contribution is from the perspective of these young women. Gayle Levin, chief operating officer for The J and one of the “host mothers” for these two, commends the work and dedication put into their positions.
“Imagine being 20-22 years old and traveling thousands of miles to live and work in a different country with different foods, traditions, and speaking in a second language all day,” Levin said. It takes a strong love for one’s country to do this job, but it’s these young women’s passion for children that helps them thrive in this position.”
Having the shlichim work at camp allows J Campers to have a unique bonding experience. DD Gass, director of camp and school-age services at The J, said their position enriches the learning experience.
“Since Amit and Ariel are counselors, they are able to establish a good relationship with our campers and campers understand a little bit better what it’s like to know someone who lives in Israel,” Gass said.
Having more routine interaction with the shlichim allows campers to learn about all aspects of being an Israeli, instead of just facts about Israel.
Campers have been learning from Rabin and Cowan all summer. Rabin works in Barney Goodman Camp, which children entering first through fourth grades attend. She teaches a lesson about Israel every Wednesday. Cowan is stationed in BOOM! Camp for fifth- through seventh-graders with whom she shares Israeli songs, games and even how to prepare Israeli dishes.
Both shlichim have worked with children before, but this experience feels different to them.
“Everyone is so polite here,” Rabin said. “I will take this culture with me to learn from it.”
One of the most polite things she has seen is everyone holding doors open for one another. Kansas City’s manners have certainly made a good impression on her. Cowan enjoyed how J Camp makes a welcoming community.
“At camp here, people try really hard to put campers with special needs together with all of the other campers,” Cowan said. “In Israel, campers with special needs are usually separated, so I think the way you do it here is very cool.”
During their summer, Rabin and Cowan have been staying with host families from the Jewish community. One of their “host mothers” is Stacey Belzer, who also works at The J as director of family engagement. Belzer said the Israeli women were a welcome addition.
“We’ve had lots of Israelis stay with us, so for my family it was just like, ‘Oh, great!’ ” Belzer said. “Like two new siblings is kind of how [my kids] look at it.”
Belzer has visited both Rabin and Cowan’s hometowns before, so it gave her something to talk about with them. Rabin is from Nes Ziona and Cowan is from Rishon LeZion, both southern suburbs of Tel Aviv along the western edge of Israel, bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
“It’s fun to show them my hometown and also be able to talk to them about where they’re from. It kind of makes this whole transition a little bit easier,” said Belzer.
To show them around her hometown, Belzer and her family took Rabin and Cowan to Westport, the University of Kansas, and even a couple of Royals games. Rabin especially enjoyed the baseball games, which was unexpected for her.
I don’t really like baseball, but I really like the vibe at the Royals games,” Rabin said.“This is definitely my favorite memory of this summer.”
Rabin and Cowan are eager to express their gratitude for everyone who has helped them during this Kansas City experience. Cowan has a message for everyone she has met during her stay.
“I want to say thank you to this community for having us, and to all of the host families. DD really helped us to come here and all the campers and counselors were very patient and helped a lot,” Cowan said. “It’s really important to me.”
At the end of the summer, Rabin and Cowan will be returning to Israel. Thinking about the end of the summer stirs up mixed feelings for them.
“I miss speaking Hebrew now, but I will miss my campers more,” Rabin said.
Readjusting to life without campers will be difficult for them as they’ve spent so much time at camp.
“I can’t believe that in three weeks I won’t see these guys anymore,” Cowan said about J Camp staff and campers.
Both women hope to keep in touch with their fellow staff members after camp. When they return to Israel, both plan to begin studying: Rabin is interested in psychology, as is Cowan though accounting is also a possibility.
Gass said Rabin and Cowan have helped J Camp tremendously throughout the summer. She added J Camp staff and campers would like to extend their thanks to these women for bringing pieces of Israel, and themselves, to the Kansas City community.
“I hope they know they are making a lasting impression on the children and staff they worked with,” Gass said.
Gass added J Camp hopes it has made a lasting impression on Rabin and Cowan.
“Our Kansas City community wishes these women luck in their future endeavors and hopes they can keep a piece of Kansas with them for the rest of their lives.”