By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel
ENCINITAS, California — I first met 18-year-old Michal Sharon in the Seacrest Village dining room as she was hopping from table to table cheerfully introducing herself. She was fresh out of high school in Israel and chose to delay her required service in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to spend one year in San Diego as an emissary in a new-to-San Diego program
The Jewish Federations of North America select two Israeli high school students to spend one year in a city in North America. Amit Katz was Michal’s counterpart who visited other parts of San Diego. The mission is to deepen personal connections between young Israelis and American students and adults.
Michal shared stories every Friday morning about her secular family, school, city and what it is like growing with a mix of different religious neighbors. She used slides, videos and teaching gimmicks about Israel history and culture. Having studied English in school, Michael had a good command of English. She taught us about Israel, and we helped improve her English. From the start everyone adored Michal, and she became part of our family. She has since returned to Israel to complete her IDF service., but some of us are still in touch with her.
The Jewish Federation’s program is called Shinshinim, or Shanat Sheyrut (year of service). Students live with host families during their stay in San Diego, and are given a car to visit their assigned schools, congregations and retirement facilities, At the end each day they have a home to return to with their host family. These relationships often become life-long between the Israeli students and their host families.
Last Friday morning thanks to the Shinshinim program, Seacrest residents had a very special treat to meet visiting Israeli Rabbi Yael Vurgan, who immediately connected with the residents. She was ordained as a Reform rabbi in 2008 at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.
She is 48 years young, mother of two boys, and grew up in a secular family in Rishon Letzion. Before turning her life around to begin studies at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, Rabbi Vurgan had several academic degrees: B.A. degree in Jewish Thought and Hebrew Literature, and an M.A. Degree in Contemporary Judaism –both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
She previously worked as director of programs and projects for educational and social institutes: Adva Center for Equality, and Social Justice within the Israeli Reform Movement.
Yael Vurgan is now rabbi for a cluster of kibbutzim (villages) next to the Gaza border called Sha’ar Hanegev, which is the partnership region of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. She described the villagers as similar to the early Zionist pioneers who worked the land, and were turned off by Israel orthodoxy.
Kibutzniks in Sha’ar Hanevev call upon her to train and conduct their children’s bar or bat Mitzvah services, and their occasional life cycle events. Her warmth and wisdom makes them more receptive to learning about Reform liberal Judaism as an option in their lives
Rabbi Vurgan’s presentation to our residents was very impressive, and projected warmth and wisdom. She gave us a realistic understanding of the dangers living next to the Gaza border.
Yael Vulcan is one of a hundred Israeli rabbis who have been ordained at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion’s (HUC-JIR) since 1980. The mission of the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) is to advance progressive Judaism and religious pluralism in Israel
These Israeli rabbis are helping fulfill that mission of the URJ by creating new congregations, advancing egalitarian LGBTQ inclusion, and tolerance. Most importantly, they are adding a liberal option amid the polarity of ultra orthodoxy.
Our new Israeli emissary, Erez Shlain , was present last Friday morning and introduced Rabbi Vurgan to the residents We were delighted to welcome him to our midst. He is a tall, handsome, bright, young man from Beit HaKeren, and will continue to teach regular weekly classes. His special interest in theatre wall certainly brings new dimensions to our understanding of Israel.
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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, emeritus cantor of Congregation Beth Israel, is a resident at Seacrest Village Retirement Community. He may be contacted via sheldon.merel@sdjewishworld.com