Hello Everyone! Happy New Year!
I hope you had a FANTASTIC Chanukah and New Year’s Eve, and I hope the year to come will bring you nothing but happiness!

I recently found out that a lot of you don’t know who I am and what I am doing here! I feel like this should be corrected so I decided to take the first week of the new year to tell you a little bit about myself, my position here and share some New Year’s resolutions with you.

As you know my name is Or, not an easy name for a lot of people (that’s why if I take you to Starbucks for coffee, I’ll probably use the name Amy), and a lot of people ask what does my name mean (most of them don’t know it’s Hebrew).

So here is today’s Hebrew word of the day:
Or = Light = אור

I am soon to be 28 years old (Jan. 20th) and I am from Israel.
I know, I am the Israel Program Associate, but not a lot of people know that I am actually from there!
I was born and raised in Israel, and lived all my life between two cities: Be’er Sheva (where I was born and then went to University) and Rosh Ha’ayin.

One thing you probably don’t know about me (some of you do) is that in high school I was a part of a FIRST robotics competition team (#1943 Neat-Team) and I spent two years working with my team on social work such as volunteering and creating programs for the community in our city (of Rosh Ha’ayin).

After high school I was drafted to the army and served as a computer technician in the Intelligent Corps for two years. During that time I also did a commander’s class and I was in charge of a training course for soldiers in my unit.

After the army I started studying Psychology and Education at Ben-Gurion University, That’s where I first heard about the program that I work for now. I learned about the Israel Fellows to University campuses around North America and decided that that’s what I want to do next.

And Here we are!

My goal during my work here at Hillel of Metro Detroit is to bring Israel to all of you, my wonderful students! But not just the Israel that one you see on the news or read about in the papers, I want to bring MY Israel, my culture and traditions, my home.

Since this is a new year and one of my resolutions if exploring the Detroit area and Michigan, I want to hear from you!
What do you think I should definitely see while I am here?
(of course I will update you as I go!)

Have more questions? Email me at or.hmdetroit@gmail.com.
Until next time…
Or