Shlichim/Shinshinim
UJIA is very proud to be the major strategic partner for the Jewish Agency for Israel’s flagship shlichim and shinshinim programmes in the UK
Shlichim are Israelis in their 20s and 30s who come to Jewish communities outside of Israel to educate and to engage. They bring informal educational expertise, a passion for Israel and the Jewish People and the ability to connect Jews to Israel by bringing Israel to Jews. Shlichim have been an established part of the global Jewish educational system for decades, and many in our community will remember legendary shlichim from when they were growing up. In the UK today, there are shlichim who work with youth movements, shlichim who work with communities, shlichim who work on campuses and shlichim who facilitate the aliyah process. You can learn more about the shlichim on the Jewish Agency website.
In addition to supporting the shlichut project as a whole, we also host two very special shlichim to serve the communities in Manchester and in Leeds.
More recent additions to our community are the shinshinim. These are 18 year old Israelis, fresh out of school and going abroad for a year of service (shnat sherut, hence shinshin). They bring the best of Israel – dynamic, creative and energetic – and work across a wide range of communal settings, including within synagogues, Jewish schools, youth movements, youth clubs, campus organisations and more.
Every year the Jewish Agency for Israel brings a dozen shinshinim to the UK, with ten in London and two in Manchester and Leeds, and UJIA’s funding, educational support and impact evaluation ensures that the programme continues to inspire a new generation to connect to Israel. You can learn more about the shinshinim on the Jewish Agency for Israel website.