Last week we held our annual Summer Shlichim Training Seminar for the outgoing, 2016-17 shlichim.

Among a myriad of subjects, they heard professional lectures on rhetoric and Diaspora Jewry, participated in workshops on teamwork and leadership and enjoyed an uplifting Shabbat together.

We capped off the seminar with the traditional farewell ceremony, hosted, once again by the Lev Academic Center in Jerusalem.

Along with proud parents, siblings and grandparents, we hosted Dr. John Winestone, who made Aliyah from Memphis and founded the neurosurgical unit in Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem. He told us of the chavrutot he had with shlichim 12 years ago, the impact they had on his decision to make Aliyah and the friendships that continued till today.

We also heard from Ellie Schiff, who came from Potomac last year and is now working as a nurse in Jerusalem. She described how the personal connections her entire family developed with the Torah MiTzion shlichim transformed their general love for Israel into a practical Aliyah plan, which she already implemented, and expects her parent will do so as well.

We also had the pleasure of honoring Nadav Kidron, former Shaliach in Cape Town and New York, who also serves as a board member of Torah MiTzion.Nadav is currently the CEO of the start-up pharmaceutical company ‘Oramed’, but he still gives of his time and experience to  help our movement develop and grow.

We wish the best of luck to the 36 Bachurim, 4 young women and 4 families will soon be setting out to over a dozen communities to spread Torat Eretz Yisrael.