By Stacey Dresner

Three young adults, following their service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), have arrived in Connecticut and Central Massachusetts to serve as shlichim – emissaries – from Israel, as part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership2Gether program. Shlichim serve for one to two years, educating their assigned American Jewish communities about Israel, and strengthening relationships between Israel and U.S. Jewry.

In Eastern Connecticut, two Israel Young Emissaries, which is also a program of the Partnership2Gether initiative, will spend the next year sharing their knowledge about Israel at local Hebrew schools, synagogues and other Jewish institutions.

Here, we introduce these Israelis whose important mission it is to build bridges between Israel and American Jewry.

B’ruchim Ha’bayim! Welcome to them all!

Ofek Moscovich

Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County

Ofek is returning to Upper Fairfield County after five years — in 2017-2018, he did a year of service in the community as a shin shin or Young Emissary.
He returned to Israel in 2018 and served as an IDF combat soldier in the Nachal Brigade, spending time in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon,

Three days after finishing his IDF service, he returned to the U.S. as a counselor at Camp Ramah in New England, spent a part of the year traveling through Central and South America and then returned to Ramah last summer as an Israel specialist. 

“During this time, I realized I wanted to continue serving my country and decided to return to my ‘second home’ to come your first ever Israel community shaliach,” Ofek says.

Ofek Moscovich can be reached at Ofek@shalomct.org

Yoav Yaron

United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan & Darien

Yoav Yaron, 30, was born in Gush Katif (in the Gaza Strip). He is the youngest out of five from a family that is originally from a kibbutz near Tiberias. 

In 2014, as part of the IDF camp counselor delegation to Jewish summer camps in North America, he was assigned to work for JCC Interlaken in the North Woods of Wisconsin. For the past seven years he has lived in Jerusalem, where he graduated from Hebrew University with a degree in comparative literature and Jewish studies, focusing on Russian literature and Rabbinical literature. 

After graduating, he worked for the Jewish Agency for Israel and also completed an M.A. with the Ruderman Foundation in Haifa University, focusing on North American Jewry. 

His interests include bird watching, hikes and exploring, Jewish learning, beer brewing, bowling, cooking, baking and the theater. 

“It will be hard to be away from family and friends, but I am resolute in my mission as an emissary, bringing Israel to the Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien communities,” he says.

Tommy Ben Basat

Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts

Ben Basat, 22, is from Holon, Israel, right next door to Tel Aviv. 

She was in the Hebrew Scouts movement for nine years and a counselor for three years. 

In high school Tommy was part of “Sodkat,” a women’s empowerment program similar to the American STEM program, encouraging math and science enrichment. She then spent a gap year called Kol Ami in Israel. This six-month Jewish peoplehood, pre-army program included both Israelis and non-Israelis and was run in English.

Tommy served in the IDF Air Force from 2019-2021, in a combat F-15 Squadron. Part of her responsibilities included preparing pilots’ flight aids like maps and targets, working with high-ranking pilots and updating critical operational information.

For the past two summers, she has worked as a counselor at Eden Village Camp in Beacon, N.Y. 

Uma Fruchtman Roth and Omer Zohar

Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut – Young Emissaries

Uma Fruchtman Roth, 18, lives in Moledet, a moshav in the Gilboa Partnership region) with her parents and two younger siblings. She is a photographer who loves art and painting, and nature and animals.

“I can’t wait to show you MY Israel and talk with you about our Jewish and Israeli history!”

Omer Zohar, 18, lives in Haderaa, a city in the northern center of Israel, with his parents and three sisters. In high school, he studied theater and biology as his major subjects. He is also an amateur photographer. “In this coming year I would love to bring Israel to Connecticut Jews by giving them a sense of how I live my life as an Israeli,” Omer says. “I would like to show you Israel from my unique perspective.”