Israeli teenagers in emotional UK visit that brought Brits to tears
Twinned towns of Shoham and Elstree, Herts share their collective trauma following 7th October atrocities
A group of teenagers from V’Ahavta Shoham Reform community in Israel spent a week in the UK strengthening ties with their twinned synagogue in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
Shoham’s Reform synagogue has been “twinned” with The Liberal Synagogue Elstree – TLSE (which organised the visit), a relationship that emerged from the formal town twinning between Shoham in central Israel and Elstree and Borehamwood in 2023.
During their stay, the youngsters were welcomed by local youth councillors, town and borough councillors and staff and local church and synagogue leaders.
They visited the old Jewish East End of London, the JW3 Jewish community centre in Hampstead, met residents at a Jewish Care home in Stanmore, celebrated Chanukah, ate latkes and lit candles with members of TLSE and Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue communities and enjoyed sightseeing in central London.
On 1st January, the Israeli teens were joined by British Jewish youngsters at TLSE. Each exchanged powerful testimonies about how their lives had been profoundly changed by the events of 7th October, both in Israel and the UK.
Keanu Shaffer, a 13 year-old British pupil at Yavneh College, whose mum Lisa helps to organise the weekly vigils for the hostages in Borehamwood’s shopping park, explained how rising antisemitism is making life more difficult for him and his friends, but he also spoke of his hope for a brighter future.
The Israelis then each delivered moving accounts of the personal and collective trauma they and their families have suffered since, as well as the loss of loved ones that brought adult members of the Liberal Synagogue who were present to tears.
The youngsters also visited Fairbanks Lodge retirement home in Borehamwood, volunteered at one of the town’s food banks and spent time at the Reform youth movement RSY-Netzer’s winter camp in Kingswood in Wolverhampton.
Uma, a 14 year-old participant from Shoham said: “I was very happy to get to know the Jewish community in Elstree and Borehamwood, and I felt very strongly about their commitment to the hostages, their desire to host us and listen to our stories about what is happening in Israel, and what has been happening to us as children and youth in the past year.”
Rinat Safania, V’Ahavta Shoham Reform community’s rabbi who led the delegation said: “During the visit, we met several Liberal and Reform Jewish communities and in each we visited we were given a warm hug and a loving welcome. Our delegation members were very moved by the warm welcome, the caring, and the fact that everyone we met told us how important Israel is to them, how much October 7th shook them as a Jewish community, how committed they are to the issue of the abductees, and how happy they are for any connection with Israel.”
Rabbi Anna Wolfson, director of community development at The Liberal Synagogue Elstree said: “It was a joy hosting this special group of teens. They threw themselves into the trip and we’re a real credit to their, families, their community and Israel.”
Dan Ozarow, deputy mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood town council said:
“My enduing memory of their visit was of the first day. I was showing them the local sites and we had just left the famous Elstree Studios, when several of the Israeli youngsters started singing and dancing to a Mariah Carey song in the street. It warmed my heart to see their happiness and that despite all that they have suffered since 7/10 and the loss of so many innocent people at Nova, young Israelis could dance again, in our town.”
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