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A Life-Saving Shlichut:

Saving Israeli-Americans

Sivan
from Assimilation
Rahav-Meir

In September 2019, Yedidya and Sivan Rahav-Meir moved to America to serve as shlichim on behalf of
World Mizrachi. Sivan’s schedule included regular shiurim at Yeshiva University’s Stern College as well as

scholar-in-residence Shabbatot across the country. While working with the American Jewish community,
Sivan and Yedidya also reached out to the ever growing community of Israelis living in America who
have made ‘yerida’, or in today’s trendy Hebrew, ‘relokayshen’. Sivan spoke with a remarkable pair of
individuals to learn about their work strengthening Jewish identity among Israeli-Americans.

hile in Hollywood, Florida, I
met with Dr. Neta Peleg-Oren,
a secular psychotherapist,
W and Rabbi Yehuda Kornfeld, a
Charedi rabbi and educator. Together,
they lead a seminar called “It Won’t
Happen To Me”, which is also the title
of their recently published book. These
are the words every Israeli who moves
to America says when asked if they are
worried their children will intermarry.
But Dr. Neta and Rav Yehuda are wor-
ried. There are close to half a million
Israelis living in America today, and a
significant majority of their children
are intermarrying. Sivan interviewing Dr. Neta Peleg-Oren and Rabbi Yehuda Kornfeld.
“I grew up in Kibbutz Yagur, my par- couple would call me, asking to speak kiddush each week; we ate matzah on
ents are from Kiryat Tivon, I am the to me about something urgently. They Pesach!’ She responded, ‘I discussed
classic secular Israeli,” says Neta. “I would scramble to come meet me, this with my boyfriend – he says he
never thought about the question and tell me about their shock when has no problem drinking some wine
of intermarrying until we came to their son suddenly came home with a each Friday night and having some
America, but I have three unmarried non-Jewish girlfriend. Very often, the crackers once a year!’ Basically, she
children, and I am worried. Yehuda son himself didn’t even know there had experienced a little cultural
and I sat together for six months to was any issue, or that this was some- Judaism, but there wasn’t any deeper
build this seminar for worried Israeli thing important to them. Often, the meaning, so it didn’t add up to more
parents. It is very rare for us to tell son would say. ‘Mom, Dad, you sent me than that. It doesn’t matter if you are
Israelis about this and for them to to public school from 1st grade, I went religious or secular, what is important
say, ‘It doesn’t bother me, I don’t care to a little bit of Hebrew school for a is to pass on a form of Judaism to the
if they intermarry.’ The majority of few years, but now I am 25 years old – next generation that has deeper mean-
Israelis in America want to see Jewish what did you expect would happen?’” ing. I don’t want to belittle speaking
A member of continuity within their family, but Hebrew or following the news from
the Mizrachi they don't know where to start.” Yehuda added in a similar vein: “At one Israel, but that isn’t sufficient.”
Speakers Bureau of our seminars, some parents shared
mizrachi.org/ Neta first became aware of the issue that they asked their daughter, ‘how The pair have already run twelve sem-
speakers through her work in her clinic. “A could you have done this? We made inars in Florida, one in Las Vegas, tens

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