Miri Hasson greets her successor as community shaliah, Sael Abukasis, Aug. 25 in the Scotch Plains offices of the Central federation.
Photo by Gail Solomon
August 28, 2008
As August drew to a close, shliha Miri Hasson passed her Israeli emissary baton to newly arrived shaliah Sael Abukasis. Abukasis assumed his position on Aug. 25, just three days after arriving in the country.
The third shaliah to serve the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey community, Abukasis said he is committed to fulfilling the goals of the program: to create a bridge between the Central community and Israel. His aim is to strengthen the community’s connection to Israel while enabling people here to forge their own personal relationship with Israel through him.
Abukasis was chosen for the position after a long, detailed selection process; he was one of only 40 out of a field of 5,000 who made the grade. Applicants go through a personality assessment and are screened on the basis of their knowledge about Israel and Judaism and are evaluated for their ability to express themselves, work with groups, and lead teams. Only then are specific assignments made to communities in America and overseas.
We all are connected as Jews, and our connection
is becoming stronger.’
Abukasis, 22, was born and raised in Sderot, a town that has been under frequent bombardment from the Gaza Strip, just three miles away.
The oldest of four children, Abukasis is a former substitute teacher. He completed his military service six months ago, having served as a sergeant major in the Israel Defense Forces, where he was responsible for 80 other soldiers. During this time, Abukasis worked as a medic and also had intelligence responsibilities.
Sael Abukasis during his service with the Israel Defense Forces
“When you join the army,” he said, “someone gives you a weapon and entrusts you with his life.” This experience made him grow up fast, he said, a reality of life in Israel. He is saddened that, in such an environment, children often are cheated of the innocence that should be their due. Abukasis said that his youngest brother, Amit, five, already knows where to go when the rockets fly into Sderot.
According to Hasson and Abukasis, the emissary’s role is about creating a personal link to Israel through who they are. “We put a lot of our soul into this emissary position,” Hasson explained.
The shaliah is critical in countering often negative media coverage of Israel in America, Hasson said. “CNN does not give the whole picture. We want people to see Israel as ‘us.’ We want them to question what they hear on the news, check the facts, and not necessarily take media reports at face value.
“We want them to think, ‘We know people in Israel,’ and bounce issues off of us before reaching a conclusion. Our role is to share our knowledge about the country and provide information.”
Abukasis agreed: “Most people don’t really know a lot about Israel. They know only a small part of the story. I want to give people the full picture. I want to show people the real Israel so they can feel a stronger connection to it.”
‘Helping each other’
Both shlihim said they feel a strong sense of interconnectedness between Jews everywhere.
“Jews help each other,” Hasson said “We all are connected as Jews, and our connection is becoming stronger. We are equals to other people now. We have our country. We have a place to go. We will never be evicted from Israel.”
Never before having been outside of Israel, Abukasis said he was awestruck by his first sight of New York City. “It was so powerful and so amazing. Everything is super-sized here. Everything looks huge to me. I come from a small town in Israel. Things are a lot more congested here.”
On the eve of her Aug. 26 departure to her home in Beersheva, Hasson reminisced about the highlights of her year-long shlihut. It was particularly meaningful for her to have been here at the time of Israel’s 60th birthday, she said.
She helped plan the 60th Yom Ha’atzmaut — Israel Independence Day — celebration at the JCC of Central NJ in Scotch Plains, which involved the cooperation of many agencies. “It was the first time in a long time that the JCC hosted a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration,” said Hasson. “I hope we set a precedent and that they will continue to do this every year.”
Hasson said she was also was thrilled to have participated in the Salute to Israel Parade in New York City in June. “It was amazing to see it and to be a part of it.”
Finally, she said, she was struck by the difference in attitude toward Memorial Day in America and Israel.
“In Israel, everyone solemnly honors Yom Hazikaron. Memorial Day in America, by contrast, for many is just an opportunity to go shopping. In Israel, we cannot be happy and celebrate without honoring those who gave their lives.
“May is a very intense month in Israel,” Hasson said. “First, we have Yom Hashoa [Holocaust Remembrance Day.] Yom Hazikaron follows. Only then can we celebrate on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
“So part of my mission was to help Americans understand the true meaning of Memorial Day.”
Abukasis said he is also aware of this difference between his country and the United States. “War is so very far away in America. In Israel, it’s right next door to you. Everyone there knows someone who died as a victim of terrorism or as a soldier in war.”
As she made plans for her return home, Hasson said she intended to find a job in a large, community organization. She would also like to pursue a second university degree, in organizational sociology; her first, in behavioral science, is from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Abukasis is the third shaliah to serve the Central community; the first, Yaniv Tamar, was here in 2006.
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