Reflections From Trip to Israel as a Board Observer for The Jewish Agency for Israel
Written by Stephanie Shujman, December 9, 2025
Stephanie Shujman, Federation Campaign Chair and newly elected National Young Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair, has been serving on the board since 2023. Recently, she was selected to visit Israel as the Board Observer for The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).
Her experience seeing global Jewish leadership come together to support Israel was humbling, emotional, and profoundly inspiring.
Stephanie holds an Israeli flag at the Kotel.
The partnership between the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and JAFI is one of the most important and enduring relationships in the global Jewish world. Jewish Federations across North America raise funds, mobilize communities, and support Jewish life locally and globally. The Jewish Agency serves as the operational arm on the ground in Israel and beyond, implementing programs that strengthen Israel, support vulnerable populations, encourage Aliyah, respond to crises, and build Jewish identity worldwide.
Through the Federations’ annual campaigns and emergency fundraising, The Jewish Agency is able to deliver critical services, especially during times of conflict or national trauma. The partnership is a living example of Klal Yisrael, the unity and shared responsibility of the Jewish people. Serving as a Board Observer allowed me to see this relationship in action.
Stephanie and members of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors pictured with Josh Schwarcz, Jewish Agency Secretary-General (middle).
In Israel, I joined leaders from around the world for The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors (BOG) meeting, the central governing body responsible for setting policy, overseeing operations, and managing the organization’s global impact. The BOG is a unique coalition of leaders from JFNA, Keren Hayesod, and the World Zionist Organization. Together with the Israeli government, these partners guide major strategic decisions affecting the Jewish world. This year’s theme, “We Act to Impact,” focused on rebuilding and rehabilitating Israel’s north and south, strengthening social resilience, encouraging Aliyah, and responding to the alarming rise in global antisemitism.
We also had meaningful opportunities to engage with top leadership, including Maj. Gen. Doron Almog (Chairman), Mark Wilf (Board Chair), Josh Schwarcz (Secretary General), and Yehuda Setton (CEO). These intimate conversations allowed us, as young leaders, to share our hopes, concerns, and vision for the Jewish future.
One of the most emotional moments came when Dalia Horn spoke beside her husband and brothers-in-law, Eitan and Yair Horn, former hostages who were recently freed from captivity. Their strength, faith, and resilience were a powerful reminder of why our work matters.
We spent a day outside of conference rooms and headed to Kiryat Shmona, a northern border city shaped by years of threat and uncertainty. Residents described hearing drilling beneath their homes until Hezbollah tunnels were uncovered and sealed in 2018. Since October 7, the community has endured tremendous challenges, and of the 24,000 residents who once lived there, 70% have returned, determined to rebuild. We saw firsthand the critical role The Jewish Agency plays, supported by Federations and global partners. They helped relocate residents to hotels, provided grants for rent, housing, and recovery, and continue to assist families rebuilding their lives. We also met with the Community Stress Prevention Center (CSPC), founded by Professor Mooli Lahad, a pioneer in trauma care. Their teams support families, train educators, and operate resilience centers throughout the Galilee. As their CDO told us, “We don’t have the privilege not to succeed. If Kiryat Shmona collapses, the north collapses.” This message stayed with me. The resilience of the north is the resilience of Israel.
After a long, emotional day, we ended at the Kotel, a grounding reminder of the weight of history, the endurance of our people, and the privilege of returning home.
The next day’s sessions were filled with learning and connection. We began with a candid discussion with MK Ohad Tal about government relations and shared challenges. Later, we met with Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Chair of JReady and The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror. Their work offers emergency aid, counseling, and job retraining, which is a lifeline for terror victims. We also heard from Rabbi Peretz, father of Captain Daniel Peretz z”l, who fell heroically on October 7. His words of faith, grief, and strength will stay with me for a long time. The day concluded with a visit to The Jewish Agency’s headquarters, an important reminder of its history and its enduring mission to strengthen the Jewish people.
The Nova Festival Victims Memorial in Re’im.
One of the most difficult and sacred parts of our journey was visiting Kibbutz Be’eri. There, the smell of charred homes still lingers. Cribs remain beside children’s books. A pink backpack sits next to rollerblades. Milk is still in the refrigerator from that morning. Be’eri, marking its 80th year, faces an impossible question: How do you celebrate when so much was lost? 102 residents were murdered and 32 taken hostage. Our guide, Ori, shared stories of childhood walks into Gaza to trade hummus for watermelons, a reminder of a time that once held hope. Years later, as a soldier, he discovered a terror tunnel running directly beneath Be’eri’s dining hall, a symbol of how Hamas chose destruction over coexistence. Yet Be’eri is rebuilding. Fruit trees are growing again. Flowers are blooming. Renewal lives alongside grief.
At the Nova festival site, the echoes of music and joy linger in the air, now transformed into a space of remembrance and love. Each picture and flower honors a life taken far too soon.
We ended our journey at Youth Futures, a program supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and other Federations. Since 2006, Youth Futures has provided mentorship to children and families at risk, helping them find stability and hope. Their mentors assist families for three years, offering guidance and support that can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Their work reflects the heart of our global Jewish ecosystem: compassion, resilience, and responsibility for one another.
My time in Israel, bearing witness to devastation, healing, strength, and renewal, affirmed why the partnership between Jewish Federations and The Jewish Agency matters so profoundly. Together, we act. Together, we impact. And together, we build a Jewish future rooted in resilience, compassion, and hope. Am Yisrael Chai.
