COMING SOON TO OUR COMMUNITY!

Caravan Agur Southeast Caravan

MEET GILI I'm Gili Yannay from Neve Monosson – a small village 20 minutes from Tel-Aviv. I'm almost 17, and am in 11th grade at Yahud Comprehensive High School. My mother Yael is a literary editor and my father Roni is a business consultant, and both are my closest friends. I'm the youngest sister and very close to my 3 siblings: Tal is a computer science student, Dan is a musician, and my sister Tamar is about to finish her service in the Israeli Defense Forces. I have been in the scouts since I was 8, and it is a centerpiece in my life. In the past two years I have been a counselor of the senior group – the shichva bogeret. In this position I worked to be a role model for the younger kids in our scouts chapter. I have a great passion for music, probably because all of my family members play and sing. I play the cello and the piano and love to sing and dance. Arts also take a great part of my pastime – I paint, make pottery and lately also sew. Last year I went on a student delegation to Germany, where we were hosted by students our age. Together we toured Germany and studied issues connected with the Holocaust. This year they came to Israel to be hosted by us, are we toured Israel together. I love hiking and particularly enjoyed showing my wonderful country to our new friends. I love being in Israel but am also thrilled with the opportunities I will have to connect to my people in the US. I looking forward to the Caravan Delegation and I hope to learn a lot and make wonderful new friendships!

MEET DAN My name is Dan Braude and I am 17 years old. I live in Qadima, a small town in the center of Israel. My mom’s name is Viviana; she works in a pharmaceutical company. My dad’s name is Pablo and he works in an Israeli mobile service company. They both were born in Argentina, and even went to the 1st grade together! They got married and came to Israel at the age of 22. I am the youngest of 3- my sister, Shelly, is 23 years old and works as a sales trainer, and my brother, Tom, is 27 years old and studies computer

science. I was born in Madrid, Spain due to my family’s relocation from Israel to Spain as representatives of an Israeli high-tech company. Later on, we relocated once again to Rockville, Maryland, USA for 2 years, and afterwards we back to Israel. My family’s vibe is very multi-cultural and unique. We speak Hebrew, Spanish and English, and mostly speak Spanish at home. I joined the scouts when I was in the 4th grade. Last year I was the counselor of a group of 4th graders. This year I am a group counselor in a boarding school for foreigners and less fortunate kids in 7th and 8th grade. Being a group counselor is a hard and demanding job, yet it is a rewarding experience, and that is why I love it. I love sports. I have played tennis for six years and basketball for three years. I am a big fan of soccer, especially the team Real Madrid, which my family and I have followed since I was born. I also love drawing and sketching, I especially like drawing graffiti sketches in my notebook and architectural designs on the computer. I am a very curious person, I love history especially, and I always try to expand my knowledge and learn as much as I can from different people. I am excited to preform for you and get to know and talk to each of you!

MEET YUVAL My name is Yuval Seeman. I am 17 and am from Rehovot, which is a city very close to Tel-Aviv. My father Amir works for the Israeli National Shipping Company. My mother Ruth is a freelancer in the textile industry. My brother Ben is 25 and is now a student, studying industrial engineering management. My brother Ido is 21. He recently finished his military service as a paratrooper. I love traveling in Israel with my family. We have a beautiful country: from the Galilee mountains and the snow in the winter in the north to the amazing beaches of Eilat in the south in the summers.

grade, in a troop called Shevet Snir. Last year I was a

thI have been in the scouts since 4

grade group. I th

graders, and this year I'm a counselor for a 7 th

counselor of a group of 4love the scouts' activities, the trips, the summer camps, and the weekly meetings. I consider my scouts troupe as my second home and family.

I study at De-Shalit high school in Rehovot, and I major in chemistry and economics. I started dancing when I was 4 years old, and until recently I studied modern dance and classical ballet. I performed on lots of stages in Israel, including for our former president

birthday in Jerusalem. That was a very emotional performance! th

Shimon Peres's 90

I have known my best friends since kindergarten and elementary school. We go together to school and to the scouts together. I love hanging out with them, studying together, and going with them to the beach.

I look forward for this summer and hope to visit you with Caravan Agur!

MEET YAIR My name is Yair and I m 17 years old and I live in Jerusalem.. Although I was born in Jerusalem, my ancestors lived in Tiberias 150 years ago which makes me part of the 6th generation of my family living in Israel. My mother’s name is Salmah and my father s name is Boaz. I'm the youngest in our family. I have 3 older sisters, Tamar my oldest

sister recently became a mother to Daniella, my cute niece. I love pets, especially dogs and have a dog named Bambi. My entire family, including my parents, participated in the scouts. I have been in the scouts since 4th grade and I am in the Beit Ha-Kerem troop. Last year I was the counselor of a 5th grade group. This year I am taking an active part in the "Machsan" team (a team in charge of logistics and supply). I love being part of my troop. It makes me feel a part of a big family that will always be there for me. I love tennis which was a big part of my life until 2 years ago. As a child, I played tennis professionally, and practiced every day for 7 years, playing all over Israel and competing internationally. About two years ago I decided to quit tennis, to have time for other things such as friends, family, and other sports. I like running and playing sports with friends, and I also love music of all different kinds. In school I took physics and computer science as my majors. It always challenges me and makes me think out of the box. I love hiking in Israel and I think that the views in Israel are amazing, and I like going on hikes with the guys from my scout troop. I am very excited and I look forward to meeting you!

MEET NITZAN My name is Nitzan Mazursky, I'm 16 years old and I live in Ganey Tikva, a small town in the center of Israel. My mother's name is Michal and my father's name is Ido. I have two older siblings- an older brother, Asaf, 24, and an older sister, Tamar, 22. I have a dog named Pinch. We adopted him 8 years ago from a dog shelter and now he is a big part of our family. I have been in the scouts since the 4th grade. My favorite part is the trips, because I like the views of Israel and new places fascinate me. My favorite part of Israel is the dessert; I love it because it has beautiful colors and is incredibly peaceful. Last year I was a guide of a group of 7th graders, and this year I'm a counselor, which means I am in charge of 6 guides who guide 6th graders in my tribe, Shevet Gamin. I'm also a part of the scouting crew- we are in charge of the practical and physical part in the tribe. When I was in 1st grade, my family and I moved to England for two years. Now I study in an agricultural school, and I work in the petting zoo. I major in Biology and Jewish Philosophy. I played the Saxophone for 5 years. My dream role in the army is to be a pilot, and after I finish serving in the army I wish to be a literature teacher in high school. A few months ago I was a part of a student's exchange program in Poland. I was there for a week, and was hosted by a Polish family which I am still in touch with. Next year, the Polish girl will be coming to Israel and I will host her for a week. I am looking forward to meeting you, and sharing Israel from my point of view!

MEET NIMROD My name is Nimrod Gottlieb and I'm 17 years old. I live in a small town named Shoham which is located near Tel- Aviv. My father's name is Zeevik and my mom's name is Vik. I have a younger brother named Sagi, who is 14, and a younger sister named Libi, who is 6. My family has 5 more special members- Zoey and Benzy, our dogs, and Stich, Julie, and Bonbon, our cats.

I have been in the scouts since 5th grade. Last year I was a counselor of a group of boys in 5th grade, this year I am guiding the 8th graders, with a team of 5 counselors. I love being a counselor since I believe that it's great to influence younger children, to have the opportunity to teach and help, and I can't avoid the fact that it's fun. I love music. When I was 9 years old, my grandma appeared at my house with a guitar and said I should start playing. Since then, a major part in my life has been learning and playing music. I learn all about music in school – the history of it, rhythm, musical hear-ing, harmony, and improvisation. I have a kind of a band, and we play together Jazz (American standards, Falafel jazz) Funk and world music. I also enjoy sports. I train twice a week with my friends and have recently started training in MMA (mixed martial arts). Since I was young, my parents have exposed me to the beautiful landscapes of Israel. I can't remember even one single time that they had given up a chance to travel another part or to see a place we hadn't been to before. Every year that passes growing up with this kind of parents I appreciate more and more the privilege I have by living here. I'm looking forward to meet you!

MEET EDEN My name is Eden Amar and I'm 17 years old. I live in Yehud which is a small town in the center of Israel. My mother's name is Tali and my father's name is Alon. I have an older sister named Coral, and a younger brother, Aviv. My family loves to travel In Israel and abroad. Our favorite travelling area is the north of Israel. We also like sports (especially basketball) and we watch the games together. We are a traditional family, and we do the Kiddush every Friday and celebrate all the holidays. I have been in the scouts since 5th grade. Last year I started to guide a 4th grade girls group. This year I am guiding a group of 7th graders. I love being a guide because it's so fun, satisfying, and I love the fact that I can influence younger kids. It’s a great feeling and I'm having good times with my group when we meet for activities. I love to dance! I have been dancing for many years. I dance many styles: ballet, hip hop and jazz and I enjoy it very much. I also love music! I like hip hop songs and rock. In ad-dition, I love the stage. Since I was little I have acted in classes and now I'm learning it as a subject in school. In school I have two majors- theatre and sociology/psychology. I took these subjects because I believe that there is a great connection between them. In theatre we create characters by analyzing their personality and behavior. By studying social sciences I can form stronger opinions about the subject. Moreover, I want to deal with it in the future, to work and learn more. I look forward to meeting you this summer!

MEET RON My name is Ron Raviv and I'm 17 years old. I live in Asseret, which is a small settlement in the south-center of Israel. I was born in Sunnyvale, California. My mother's name is Sassy and my father's name is David. I am the youngest in my family and I have an older brother – Niv and two older sisters – Shir and Gal. My family is a hi-tech family. Both of my parents are working in Israel's hi-tech industry, and now my oldest sister Gal is as well. My family and I are very close. We like to celebrate the holiday and Shabbat

dinners together. The things we love to do as a family are cooking together and going on trips, in Israel and abroad. Every year at the Jewish New Year we fly abroad. Every time we go to different places and each year is a different experience from last year. My favorite places were: Thailand, India, China, and of course the US. I have been in the scouts since 4th grade. Last year I was a counselor of a group of 5th graders. This year I am a counselor of a group of 8th graders. Being a counselor in the scouts had been a major part of my life. There is nothing more satisfying than watching the kids in your group enjoy the activity that you prepared especially for them. I love sports. I played basketball for almost 9 years. Another one of my hobbies is playing the guitar. I took a few guitar lessons two years ago and ever since I have been playing on my own. Today I play the acoustic guitar and I enjoy it a lot. Another great hobby of mine is going on hiking trips with my friends. My friends and I go about 3 times a year to hike mainly around the Negev area – the south of Israel. It is a lot of fun because beside the amazing views and landscapes that we get to see we enjoy being in each others company. I look forward to meeting you!

MEET LITAL My name is Lital Asiyas and I’m 16.5 years old. I live in Kiryat Gat, which is a city in the

south of Israel. My mother's name is Rachel and my father's name is Ilan. I’m the

youngest in my family, I have 4 amazing brothers named Roni, Dudu, Hen and Yehuda,

and 2 lovely sisters named Elinor and Daniella. We are all very close to each other and

one of the things that we love to do together is to go travelling. Sometimes we just

gather at the park next to my house for a picnic, it gives us an opportunity to spend

more time together and it’s a lot of fun.

I have been in the scouts since 7th grade. Last year I was counselor of a group of girls in 5th grade and this year I am a counselor of a group of kids in 7th grade. I enjoy being a counselor and find it very meaningful because I think that it is very important to influence younger kids. I have many hobbies that I like to do when I have some free time such as cooking, dancing, singing, and acting. At school one of my majors is theater. We learn not only about acting but also about stage-managing, sound, and more aspects in theatre. I’m part of a professional group called “Tzofi Shva.” It’s a group that is part of the scouts. We practice all the time and perform in many different places in Israel. Being a part of that group made me learn a lot about myself and realize even more the fact that I love being on stage. I look forward to meeting you this summer!

MEET SHAY My name is Shay Kuper and I’m 17 years old. I live in Kiryat Tivon which is a town in the north of Israel near Haifa. My mother’s name is Galit, she is a human resources manager at Cellcom and my father’s name is Yochai, he is a veterinarian. I have a younger brother, Tom and an older brother, Itay, who just got out from the Israeli Defense Forces. My family is a scout family. I guide the 9th grade, my older brother guides the 12th grade, and my father was mother’s guide when she was in 12th grade and that’s how they met.

I have been in the scouts since the 3rd grade. Last year I was a guide of 14 boys and girls in the 4th grade and this year I guide the 9th grade which is a little bit different from last year because now I teach my campers how to be a guide of a group. I love sports. I was a swimmer for a few years and then I started playing volleyball. I played professional volleyball for two years and since I became a guide in the scouts I play just for fun. I also love music and playing the guitar with my friends all night long! In school, I study theatre with the best friends I could ever ask for! Theatre is the thing I love the most because it gives me a chance to get into people's heart and be a different character every time I go on stage. My favorite thing to do on my free time is going to the beach, that’s why my favorite place in Israel is the city Eilat. In Eilat I love to dive, especially with the dolphins, and to go wind-surfing with my grandfather, who is the coolest grandfather in the world. I also like the north side of Israel which is very different from Eilat, because seeing the view of the fields and streams always makes me feel like home. I look forward to meeting you!

MEET INBAR My name is Inbar Meir, I am 23 years old and I live in Rishon Lezion in the center of Isra-el. My mother, Gila, is a biologist, and my father, Avraham, is an engineer. I have two older brothers. In my free time, I like singing and dancing and going on trips in Israel with my friends. I joined the scouts when I was 9 years old. At the age of 16 I became a counselor for a group of 11 year old kids, and later on I was a counselor for a group of special needs children (such as autism). In 2008 I went to the United States as a member of the Tzofim Friendship Caravan. After I graduated from high school, I went on a year of volunteering, also with the scouts. During that year I lived in Be'er Sheva in the south of Israel, and did volunteer work with children with special needs and kids at risk. I also started with my friends a

new scouts troop in Be’er Sheva. I joined the army in 2010 and served as a social care officer. After finishing my 3 years of service, I worked for a year as an emis-sary for the Jewish Agency to the Jewish community of Cordoba, Argentina. I can't wait to meet you!

MEET AVICHAI My name is Avihai Rigbi and I am the caravan's guide. I'm 24 years old and live in Ramat Gan, which is a suburb of Tel Aviv. I grew up in a Zionist home with my wonderful family: my father Itai, who works as an internal auditor at TEVA Pharmacy Company, and my two younger brothers Daniel and Jonathan. I had an awesome childhood! I was a very active and playful kid and loved spending time with my family and friends.

I'm really into sports- I was on soccer, handball, and high school athletic teams. I was very involved in the scouts; it was a very educating and enriching part of my childhood. One of the major experiences I had in the scouts was being a member of the Tzofim Friendship Caravan in when I was 17 years old. I had the privilege to serve in the Israel Defense Forces for almost five years as combat field intelligence officer. I served as a platoon commander for new recruits, a combat team commander, and a company commander on the northern border of Israel. I also served on an IDF delegation to the United States. Under my command I've taught the soldiers to be professional, moral, and to do their job in the best way they can! Knowing that we do so in order to protect our country gave me enormous pride! In my spare time I like to go for a big hiking walks in the country nature side of Israel, go to sport events, play sports (any kind) and enjoying spending time with my family, girlfriend and friends . Today I'm examining options for university studies. Meanwhile I preparing those wonderful kids of the Israeli friendship caravan to our great and challenging experience. I'm looking forward to seeing you.