On Sunday, November 18, 2019, more than 350 emissaries came together for four days to bond, hear from motivational speakers and ask questions as part of their training. Over the course of the conference, the Shlichim were provided with additional tools to deepen their abilities to strengthen relationships between world Jewry and Israel.
They heard from the heads of both The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), as well as Natan Sharansky and Israeli judo champion Yarden Gerbi, among others.
“To be with all the Shlichim was so energizing and uplifting. They are the true ambassadors of the state of Israel,” said Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of JFNA. “What Shlichim do is so critically important to Jewish communal life in North America and around the world.”
“There was so much positive energy at the conference. The hundreds of Shlichim there are the ones that build every day more and more bridges between Israel and the Jewish world,” said Jewish Agency Chairman of the Executive Isaac Herzog.
On Monday, Gerbi, retired Israeli judo world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, spoke to the Shlichim and afterward, praised the work her fellow Israelis are doing in North America.
“The Shlichim I’ve met are full of love for Israel, kind, inspiring and know they have been tasked with a lot of responsibility. Getting to speak at the conference… it made me so happy that I could touch people and represent Israel just like they do,” Gerbi shared on social media.
