Six Israeli teens from the Arad/Tamar region of Israel came to Monmouth County to share their thoughts, dispel myths, and establish friendships as part of the Hanukkah Teen Exchange.

Amit Rubin, Sivan Zafril, Amaro Yamahan, and Nofar Tamari, all from Arad, and Tzoof Avni and Bar Kadosh from Tamar stayed with host families in Monmouth County during their visit. The group arrived on Dec. 14 and returned to Israel on Dec. 21.

The teens, all of them 16, visited five public high schools and met with students at the Solomon Schechter Academy in Howell and the Solomon Schechter Day School of Ocean and Monmouth Counties in Marlboro; the eighth-grade classes of both schools will visit Israel next spring.

The trip was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County’s Commission on Jewish Education and six county synagogues. The group met with religious-school students at each of the synagogues.

This was the third teen exchange that involved students from the Arad-Tamar area, which is near the Dead Sea; the region is part of Partnership 2000, a sister-community arrangement with Jewish federations in New Jersey and Delaware.

“This trip really had a dual purpose,” said Ann Goldman, the federation’s director of planning, allocations, and Community Relations Commitees. “The Israeli kids were here to inspire American teens to visit Israel and to put Israel into their hearts and souls. Since the Intifada, travel to Israel by American teenagers has decreased. It’s been hard to re-establish these trips, which used to be a right of passage for teens in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.”

The Israeli teens were “peer ambassadors,” and their impact on Jewish religious-school students and public high school students, especially those of other faiths, conveyed a clear message, according to Shuki Rusek, the group’s chaperone.

“These kids are the same in more ways than some American students ever thought possible,” said Rusek, who is a high school principal in Arad. “They all like television programs, music, movies, video games, fast food, and they all — the boys and the girls — are interested in fashion. They have so much in common that can bring perspective and can be the foundation for understanding and lasting friendships.”

Israeli life is often not accurately reflected on American television, he added.

One of the teenagers, Amaro Yamahan, agreed.

“The way we live in Israel is not really portrayed properly on the television you see here,” she said. “Many of the teens we spoke to thought we are at war all the time and that there was constant fighting. I told them we live normal lives; we’re not afraid to ride the bus, go to restaurants, go shopping, and go to the movies. And do you know why? Because we have a strong army to protect us and deal with terrorist threats.”

Amaro, who was born in Ethiopia, has a special sense of Israeli pride. When she was an infant, the religious persecution and civil wars in Ethiopia prompted her mother to carry her from Ethiopia’s Gondar region through the mountains until they reached a refugee camp in Addis Ababa. Her father and brother eventually joined them, and the family waited about a year and were then airlifted to Israel in 1991.

When the time comes for Amaro to join the Israeli army, she said, she will be ready and willing. “Israel is my country. I will learn to protect it. Israel is my home.”

The fact that all young Israeli men and women begin mandatory military service at age 18 was a source of fascination to many of the group’s American counterparts.

“Some of the young religious-school children couldn’t believe our army service begins when we turn 18,” said Israeli teen Nofar Tamari. “They thought that meant we would immediately go out and fight battles somewhere. Some of the high school students were also surprised that we enter the army when we’re 18. We explained that the Israeli army has many divisions, just like the American military does, like technology training, combat training, and army intelligence. I think we helped enlighten them.”

The mandatory service of Israeli women also stunned some of the American teens.

“We explained that it was the responsibility of all Israelis to protect our country,” said Tzoof Avni.

Bar Kadosh felt the teen exchange program helped build a bridge between the United States and Israel. “Some of the American kids we spoke to didn’t think we liked the same things, like music and movies. They weren’t sure about our political views,” he said. “We found out we’re all aware of what’s going on in the world and that we care about the same things — like peace.”

Sponsoring synagogues were the Freehold Jewish Center, Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, and Temple Beth Ahm and Temple Shalom in Aberdeen.

The teens met with junior and senior class students at Freehold Township High School, Manalapan High School, Red Bank Regional High School, Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, and Matawan High School.