By Danielle and Lahav, the Ann Arbor ShinShinim
Danielle and Lahav came to Ann Arbor to strengthen the connections between the Ann Arbor Jewish community and Israel, sharing the Israeli atmosphere through informal education – interactive lessons that include music, culture, Israeli childhood games and even food.
They arrived in Ann Arbor in August 2024 for a service year as Israeli emissaries between their high school graduation and military service through the ShinShinim program of the international Jewish Agency for Israel. They share here what they’ve been up to around town recently.
March and April were busy months! We returned from our two-week homeland vacation in Israel at the beginning of March. During March and April, we were involved in many events for Purim and Passover, planning and executing plenty of exciting activities and new experiences for the community.
Purim Fun & Celebrations around the community
One of the most significant events during this period was the Israeli “Purimon” event we organized at Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor.
The event was held for the entire school and featured a variety of activity stations spread throughout the building – including a Fortune Teller, The Robbery (Laser Room), Falafel Target Toss, a Haunted Maze, and more. There was also a photo booth, popcorn, and cotton candy! Thanks to the incredible staff and the amazing parents who supported the preparations and volunteered during the event, we were able to bring it all to life. We’re so grateful for everyone’s help. We succeeded in sharing a fun and meaningful Israeli experience, and seeing the children leave with big smiles was the best reward of all.
In addition to the HDS event, we helped organize the ‘Purim at the Circus’ event in collaboration with the JCC and Chabad. We assisted in planning the event, coming up with ideas for activity stations, decorating the venue, and more. We also participated in Purim events at Temple Beth Emeth (TBE), created Purim scrolls with children who attended our Jewish Storytimes at the Ann Arbor District Library, and visited the Purim event at Beth Israel Congregation (BIC).
And how could we forget the costumes we created for ourselves, which caused great excitement among the children who decided they wanted to eat it… forgetting it was just a costume? We dressed as Bamba and Bissli!
Passover: From Songs to Master Chef
For Passover, we did a fun music activity at TBE, teaching the song “Dayenu,” where Danielle sang with the children and Lahav accompanied them on the piano. The children really enjoyed the special concept and the new version of the song from Israel that we introduced them to. Additionally, in the 7th grade, we held a Master Chef-style Passover lesson, in which the children competed in challenges to win ingredients for making matzo-chocolate balls. All the tasks were related to Passover, including a sack race (Plague of Frogs), building a pyramid of cups with eyes closed (Plague of Darkness), drinking a disgusting blood-colored beverage (Plague of Blood), and more.
At Storytimes at AADL, we created frog crafts and matzah covers with the children. The kids were exposed to many aspects of the Passover holiday, and we had the opportunity to meet new children and families that we hadn’t met before!
Exploring Israeli Art: Kadishman, Geffen, and Goldberg
At HDS, we dedicated a month to Israeli artists. We introduced them to Kadishman, an Israeli painter and sculptor, known for his colorful sheep portraits. We worked together in art classes to create sheep.
We also introduced Jonathan Geffen, who was born in Nahalal, Ann Arbor’s partner city in Israel, and is regarded as one of Israel’s most influential poets. His book “The Sixteenth Sheep” was turned into a groundbreaking record, one of the best-selling of all time. The album was named so (with the playful title) because while lying in bed counting sheep, “the sixteenth sheep is the one I fall asleep with.”
Another activity we led was about the poet Leah Goldberg, a recipient of the Israel Prize for Literature and Poetry. In that activity, we discussed her book “Apartment to Rent,” in which the relationship between animals sharing an apartment building reflects the idea of Israel’s melting pot – bringing together people from various backgrounds, religious and secular, Jews and Arabs, Moroccans and Ashkenazim. The story emphasizes the importance of living together in one country and the need to give every person equal opportunity, regardless of their identity. This activity was prepared by the next generation of ShinShinim of Ann Arbor, who are already getting involved and excited about our work in the community! The new ShinShinim will arrive this summer, once our year of service has finished.
Interactive Learning and Field Trip
Danielle and Lahav also joined HDS students on a field trip to the Ann Arbor City Hall and a fire station, which was a great informal experience that allowed them to get to know each other outside of their usual classroom routine.
At the JCC’s Early Childhood Center, Danielle continued her weekly visits every Friday as a special guest for Shabbat. Together, they made challah and experienced the Shabbat atmosphere. Additionally, they learned songs for Passover, especially enjoying the frog song, which Danielle translated for them into Hebrew.
This month, Lahav also began teaching science lessons to 4th and 5th graders at HDS. These lessons are about an introduction to the world of science, understanding Israeli creativity, and later inventing and scientifically testing solutions to big and small challenges in Israel. This will be the children’s final project. Here’s a picture of the first experiment they did together!
Springtime Travels and New Family Connections
After being generously hosted by Rabbi Josh and Sarah Raful Whinston for a wonderful six months, Danielle has moved to live with Andi Rich and her family. It has been an exciting experience for her getting to know another family in the community. They spend time together and create a warm and loving atmosphere. Danielle especially enjoys the presence of the dogs that take her on walks in this beautiful season…Speaking of seasons, we’re really excited that spring is coming, and the endless winter is almost over!
Lahav’s mother and sister came for a visit at the beginning of April and stayed almost until the end of the month. They visited Lahav’s host family (Scott and Cindy Kellman), got to know the community institutions, and enjoyed spending time together as a family. Afterwards, they traveled together during the Passover vacation.
Danielle also traveled with her ShinShinim friends from Detroit, Cincinnati, and others to Florida for a long-awaited vacation! It’s every Israeli’s dream… You can ask her about it – this will be her favorite topic of conversation for the next while!
Looking Ahead: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Lag Ba’Omer
We have a lot of work ahead of us, especially in May! We will participate in the community-wide events for Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day and are planning a big community-wide event for Lag Ba’Omer with lots of activities, a big bonfire, Israeli kosher food, and guaranteed fun. We look forward to seeing you all there… More details will be published soon!