For the first time in eight years, Jewish Ottawa will welcome two Shinshinim for the 2026-2027 school year. This program, in which young Israeli emissaries spend a year connecting with Jewish communities around the world, will take our Shinshinim to the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS), Torah Day School, various shuls across the city, and Jewish Federation of Ottawa programming.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing this program back to our community this year,” said Federation’s PJ Library and Young Families Manager, Eriel Ben-Gal. “Our Shinshinim will be a vibrant presence across the community.”

Ben-Gal emphasized that they will be present in all aspects of Jewish life across our community and that they will help bring Israel to life for students at both Jewish day schools and supplemental schools, as well as with Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge and Tamir. 

“They’ll also join Shabbat experiences at different synagogues in Ottawa every month and play an active role in PJ Library programming, building relations with families and enriching Jewish life across Ottawa,” she said.

Shinshinim is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, one of Federation’s Israeli partner organizations. The program brings recent Israeli high school graduates to Jewish communities around the world for up to 10 months before they begin their mandatory military service. The name Shinshinim comes from the Hebrew words shnat sheirut (“year of service”), both of which begin with the Hebrew letter shin. Through cultural exchange, education, and community engagement, Shinshinim help strengthen connections between Jewish communities in the Diaspora and Israel.

The bridges that are built between Israel and the diaspora are made even stronger through this program, allowing young Israelis to form bonds between their home country and their host community. In turn, they help bring Israel to the lives of Jews who may not have had the opportunity to interact closely with Israelis otherwise. 

The program has proven to be successful over the last decade, with the number of Shinshinim in communities across the world having more than quadrupled, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel website.

To ensure that Ottawa’s Shinshinim program is successful, Federation is seeking six families to host one Shinshin for a three- to four-month period during the school year. 

“Hosting is a truly special opportunity to help bring Israeli culture into your home in a meaningful way,” said Ben-Gal.  

More information about the criteria and survey can be found at this link. If you have any questions, reach out to Federation’s PJ Library and Young Families Manager, Eriel Ben-Gal, at [email protected].