This summer 1,100 young Israelis will volunteer as summer shlichim in North America. The shlichim, acting as counselors at summer camps, will focus on deepening the bond between young Jews and Israel and strengthening their Jewish identities. This year, for the first time, young Israeli’s who have chosen to defer their military service [to do a year of volunteer work] or learn in a pre-army academy will also participate in the summer shlichim program.

In recent years, the number of Israelis applying for a position as a summer shaliach has grown. This year’s shlichim were chosen from amongst 5,500 applicants.