Volume 8, Issue 8 / Tammuz 5765 / August 2005
Young Volunteer Educators
Ronen Weiss (27) is a Jewish Agency for Israel Young Volunteer Educator who deeply believes in his mission. Born to an American mother from New York and a native Israeli father, Ronen grew up in Ashkelon, fluent in both Hebrew and English. Ronen served in the air force intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and then went on to study computer science and mathematics.
Ronen's life changed when the intifada was raging. He realized just how little his peers in North America knew about the situation in Israel. Ronen joined the Young Volunteer Educators program to strengthen Israel-centered educational programming and ties to Israel.
In 2003, Ronen was placed in Sacramento, CA and worked with Hillel at the UC Davis and Sacramento State University Campuses. He established a vibrant pro-Israel organization that has over 20 active members. Ronen also found a way to involve non-active students by connecting Israel-centered and Jewish activities to their specific interests. "I wanted to ignite a spark of awareness about their heritage, their homeland and their identity," says Ronen. "And it worked." Ronen increased enrollment in birthright israel programs from nine participants over the course of four years to 33 participants on one trip in December 2004.
Ronen recently returned from a second year of service in Sacramento. He is applying the skills he learned as a Volunteer Educator with the Jewish Agency as a professional trainer for others in the program. He will soon travel to Baltimore and work with the local Federation to promote a partnership between them and his home city of Ashkelon.
"I feel that I am really making a difference in the lives of young American Jews. We are the next generation and it is important that we work together to support Israel."
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