Noam and Elisheva Fogel are the Shlichim for the Auckland Hebrew Congregation. In this interview they tell us about their background, how they ended up in New Zealand and what their work involves.
Shlichim are messengers sent from Israel to assist small Jewish communities. They help to build the relationship between those communities and the state of Israel.
Elisheva and Noam grew up in homes that welcomed new immigrants and were always hospitable. This influenced their decision to become Shlichim.
Elisheva’s home was very Zionistic. Her parents made aliyah from America in the 1970s. They left behind an amazing life in New York, gave up great professions and ready access to family and friends, in order to do something they thought was bigger than living a comfortable life. They believed that their place was definitely in Israel.
For Elisheva, being a Zionist means having “the will and the capability of saying, I am willing to risk my time, my life, who I am, just for other people, for other Jewish people and for having a land of our own”.
Noam spoke of his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, who never spoke about his experience in Auschwitz. Although Noam's grandfather died before Noam was born, the fact that he never spoke about the Holocaust triggered in Noam a desire to find out as much as possible. Noam has undertaken much research over the years of family, history and connections, gathering as many stories as possible about his grandfather, in order to understand his experience.
Noam and Elisheva decided as a young married couple that they wanted to have the experience of being Shlichim. While they intended to go somewhere close to family and friends, like the United States, or Europe they ended up at the “ends of the earth” in New Zealand. They knew nothing about New Zealand, but when they heard about the needs of the community, they knew it was the right place for them.
While the change of pace took some adjustment, it hasn’t impacted their productivity. They have poured their energy into the community in a range of roles and responsibilities. They work with the Jewish school, Kadimah and pre-school doing the morning prayers. Every Friday they do the Kabbalat and the preparations for Shabbat. Together with the Jewish studies division at Kadimah they organise the High Holidays and the Israeli days; Independence Day, Yom HaZikaron and Holocaust Day. They run events and camps for B’Nei Akiva, the Zionist youth movement. They volunteer at Shalom Court, the Jewish old age home, assist with AHC services and run community events. Their home is a hub of social activities and hospitality for youth, young adults, families from the community as well as travellers.
