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SHLICHIM AROUND THE WORLD

Bringing Israel’s Spirit to Ireland Gael

Grunewald

n the 2020 World Zionist Congress “Our official role through the morim In recent years, an increasing number
elections, the Orthodox Israel Coa- shlichim program is to teach in the of young Israelis have moved to Dublin
lition (OIC), a broad-based coali- Jewish school, but we also run youth for work opportunities. “On the last
I tion consisting of Mizrachi and activities and are very involved in the night of Chanukah, an Israeli family
major Religious Zionist and Modern Maccabi old-age home, chessed proj- reached out to join us for candle
Orthodox organizations of America, ects, the chevra kadisha and more. The lighting. It turned out this family had
was highly successful, winning 27 only thing I haven’t done yet is be a
seats and influential leadership posi- mohel, but I have been a sandak five been living in Dublin for a number of
tions in Israel’s national institutions. times so far!” years. We had never seen or heard of
The OIC’s electoral success has enabled them, and we asked them what made
our movement to increase the number The Jewish infrastructure in Dublin is them reach out now. Embarrassed,
of Religious Zionist shlichim serving less developed than in larger commu- the mother said she suddenly had a
Jewish communities throughout the nities. It is hard to find kosher food, realization that today is Chanukah and
world. there is no eruv, and half the students her daughters, growing up in Ireland,

When Omer and Timna Shalev arrived in Stratford, the small Jewish school, had no idea what Chanukah was. It
in Dublin a few years ago to serve as are not Jewish. “In the school, we is heartbreaking to see so many Jews
shlichim of the World Zionist Organi- developed a strong relationship with losing connection to their heritage,
zation (WZO), the community was Delia, a non-Jewish teacher. On Yom and we hope to do all we can to con-
elated. After close to 30 years without HaShoah, she came with her father nect them with their heritage.”
shlichim, the Dublin community once to a Holocaust memorial event, and
again had teachers from Israel to help we learned that he is a founder of a As two of the hundreds of WZO shlichim
strengthen the community! Holocaust memorial organization in around the world, the Shalev family is
I asked Timna and Omer why they Dublin. In 1967, as he followed the news lighting a candle of Judaism and con-
nection to Israel in the heart of Dublin
came to Dublin. “I had wanted to go of the Six Day War, he developed a – inspiring hundreds of people, young
on shlichut for a long time,” Timna strong connection to Israel and taught and old!
explained. “I worked in the Museum Delia to appreciate the uniqueness of
of the Diaspora in Tel Aviv, and that the Jewish people. It is heartening to Gael Grunewald is Vice Chairman and Head
work gave me a desire to go on shlichut see, especially as the Irish government of the Department of Education of the World
to help communities in the Diaspora. is often very anti-Israel.” Zionist Organization.
Omer had worked for several years in
the IDF and the Prison Services, but
after about 10 years I convinced him
to join me on this adventure.”
At its peak in the 1940s, Dublin had
close to 5,000 Jews, but today that
number has decreased to just 500.
From 1921 to 1936, the Chief Rabbi of
Ireland was Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi
Herzog, who would later become the
first Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel,
and whose grandson is the current
President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.

“One of the things you learn in a
small community is that shlichim
play an even greater role,” said Omer.
Timna and Omer Shalev and their children in Dublin
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