Page 10 - HaMizrachi Tisha B'av 5782 USA

Ariel The Grand Finale
Chesner

lying the Flag” is a revo- students signed up to help RZA-Mizra-
lutionary new program chi USA inspire the American Jewish
launched this year by community with a love for Israel and
“Fthe Department for Reli- Religious Zionism in the years ahead.
gious Affairs in the Diaspora. Intended May they soon return home, together
to develop a new generation of shlichim with all of Am Yisrael!
from the Diaspora, “Flying the Flag” is
a year-long series of programs for gap- Ariel Chesner is the Director of the Center for
year and college students that directly Religious Affairs in the Diaspora at the World
address their future role as shlichim Zionist Organization. He previously served
in the Diaspora. After engaging over as the Director of the Resource Development
1,700 students from the Diaspora department at World Bnei Akiva. Ariel lives
throughout the year, we concluded a with his wife Ephrat and their 5 children in
year of training with two exciting Yom a small yishuv in southern Israel.
Yerushalayim events celebrating the
value of shlichut.

First, we sent two Flying the Flag
‘Dream Team’ delegations to Europe
and the United States to celebrate Yom
Yerushalayim. Each ‘Dream Team’
consisted of four talented educators
who worked together to inspire Jewish
communities with a love for our eter-
nal capital through Torah, music and
multimedia. The European team elec-
trified diverse audiences in Sweden,
Switzerland, Austria, England, Scot-
land, and France, while the US team
inspired students in the tri-state area,
Philadelphia, and Chicago. I’ll never
forget a moment during the US trip
when a young woman said to me:
“Next year I plan to join the IDF. Never
in all my years in school have I had
such a powerful Zionist experience.
Thank you!”
Our second event, in partnership
with Masa, brought gap-year stu-
dents in Israel together to celebrate
Yom Yerushalayim with an inspira-
tional musical performance by Rabbi
Shlomo Katz. Our keynote speakers,
Rabbi Doron Perez and Rabbanit Shani
Taragin, spoke of the importance of
being a shaliach for Am Yisrael wher-
ever you are in the world. Hundreds of

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