Meet Our New Shinshinim

Welcome to Vancouver, Camille and Omer!

As part of our commitment to building people-to-people connections with Israel, Jewish Federation is proud to welcome two new shinshinim (teen emissaries) to our community. Camille Amir and Omer Shpatz are high school graduates from Israel who will be volunteering in our community for a year before they return to Israel to begin their compulsory army service. They were chosen by The Jewish Agency for Israel to take part in the Shin-shin program because they represent the best of the best.

Becoming an emissary is an elite opportunity for Israeli students. They must be top academic performers, and demonstrate unrivalled leadership and commitment to their community. Notably, Camille grew up in Kiryat Shmona in our partnership region, where she was a youth leader at Beit Vancouver. Her experiences at Beit Vancouver were stepping stones towards developing who she is today.

Camille and Omer will spend the next year building personal connections to Israel with young people throughout our community. It’s an exciting year ahead for all of us as Camille and Omer engage with youth and teens at our partners: Beth Israel Synagogue, Beth Tikva Synagogue, Camp Hatikva, Habonim-Dror Camp Miryam, the Jewish Community Centre, King David High School, Richmond Jewish Day School, Temple Sholom, Vancouver Talmud Torah, and all those we work with as a part of our Connect Me In initiative in emerging and regional communities. These interactions are the basis for lifelong connections between young people in our community, the Shinshinim, and Israel.

Let’s meet from Camille and Omer in their own words:

  • Hi, my name’s Camille Amir, I’m 18 years old and I’m from Kiryat Shmona, which is part of the shutfut area (partnership region) that Vancouver has with Israel. I spent the past five years working with Israeli youth in the North of Israel, with an emphasis on inclusion. I am very excited to be here! Can’t wait to be a part of the community. 
  • Hi, my name’s Omer Shpatz, I’m 18 years old and I’m from Kiryat Ono, a small city next to Tel Aviv. I spent the last nine years in the Israeli Scouts and I was a madrich (youth counsellor) for the last three years. I am very excited to be here as a shin-shin and I can’t wait to start! 

Host Camille or Omer

We offer many thanks to host families who will bring Camille and Omer into their homes for three months and make them family. If you’d like to host, watch this video to see how amazing the experience can be, and email our Shin-shin program coordinator, Nathan Philip Brown. You can also call him at 604.257.5100 ext. 301.