A Year Abroad

 

From Brooklyn to Israel

 

Daniel Kolos and Kialash Miller have been teens in the Kings Bay Y for four years. The Kings Bay Y played a major role in their teen years. Not only did they work with an amazing staff of fun and interesting people, but the Kings Bay Y and its staff became another family to the boys. As part of the Y family, the teens participated in everything from trips to Six Flags, movies and paintball all the way to a Stand With Us workshop where they had the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles.

 

Daniel’s connection to Israel was always strong. Daniel had visited the Holy Land as a child and is the third generation in his family to join the Israeli Defense Forces. He remembers being a child and seeing soldiers with their M16s and uniforms at the train stations. That was the pivotal moment when he knew he would be a soldier as well. Kialash, on the other hand, was exposed to Israel after his entire family converted to Judaism. This brought him into the Kings Bay Y family and nurtured his love for Israel.

 

At the Kings Bay Y, Daniel and Kialash learned about such topics as Israel’s history, modern-day conflicts, the United Nations, and how much Israel contributes to the modern world.

 

Once Daniel and Kailash arrived to Israel, they participated in several programs. There was the Shnat Sharut called Noar Leumi. There they lived in a Kumuna, a house with seven other people (Israelis). Every day they would go to one of the two high schools and help the seniors prepare for their final English exam. The experience was amazing. Two Americans from New York spending their days in an Israeli high school.... quite a cultural change!

 

A few evenings each week, they participated in a program called Asa kosher Kravi, which is a pre-army combat training program. They did massive amounts of training and created bonds that will last for the rest of their lives.

 

The last program they did was a mechina of lone soldiers and new immigrants who were joining the army. There they did a mix of activities including some Hebrew lessons, physical training, and many trips around Israel, seeing its history and beauty firsthand

 

A quote from the boys.“We wouldn’t trade anything in the world for what we have done in the last seven months and hope our experience in Israel will continue this way. We look forward to spending the rest of our lives here.”

 

From Israel to Brooklyn

 

This is the first year that Noar Leumi sent a Shinshin to New York.The shinshin works with the Kings Bay Y in several locations as part of various programs offered to the community.

 

Noar Leumi Brooklyn is a program that is being offered to teens ages 15-18.

 

What do we offer?

• Outdoor activities

• Trips such as hiking, overnight camping, and a three-day seminar to Washington, D.C

• Theme days such as Army Day

• Volunteer opportunities

• Israeli culture and Jewish identity workshops