Shelby Brown, Mattisyahu Loiterman, and Audrey Peck—three Tidewater teens—will head to Israel with the support of a grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Simon Family Passport to Israel program.
Brown, a rising senior at Norfolk Academy, will spend three weeks in Israel at BBYO’s International Leadership Seminar. She says she has “been itching to go to Israel” since learning about it as an elementary school student at Hebrew Academy. Brown says she looks forward to immersing herself into the experience and learning as much as possible.
Loiterman, a senior at Yeshivas Aish Kodesh, will spend a year studying at Yeshivas Toras Moshe, an elite learning institution in Israel. Loiterman’s brother attended the same institution and he says he also looks forward to receiving an excellent Jewish education there.
Peck, a rising junior at Norfolk Academy, will travel to Israel with Camp Pinemere, where she has spent the past six summers. Peck hopes to gain a deeper connection with Israel through this trip and “leave wanting only to return to the Holy Land.”
The Simon Family Passport to Israel program was created to encourage and enable Jewish youth to go to Israel. Another opportunity for Passport to Israel grants will take place in the Fall. Visit http://jewishva.org/tjf-passport-to-israel or contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org for more information.
– Barb Gelb