Yotam Zach Speaks, Inspires at Agudath Israel

On Tuesday, September 15, the CAI Men's Club and Israel Program Committee welcomed speaker Yotam Zach, 23, to Caldwell. Yotam is the 2009-2010 Youth Shaliach (emissary) from Israel.

Yotam took the audience through a very thorough but inspiring timeline that began all the way back in 1936 when his grandparents fled an oppressive Iraq and post-war Europe respectively. He spoke of growing up in the Tel Aviv suburb of Azur where his parents held high ranking civic titles.

Yotam spent much of his lecture talking about the public relations and physical wars that were fought in the Gaza strip during his days of military service. Two of the most challenging but impactful experiences were having to remove Jews from Gaza during disengagement and battling Kazam rocket-launchers during the incursion. But the P.R. war seems to have been one of the toughest things Yotam had to deal with. Friends would call him on his cell phone to verify and refute disparaging reports about the Israeli military seen on international media.

Towards the end of the presentation, Yotam encouraged the audience to write letters of hope for POW Gilad Shalit and talked about reactions from the death of IDF pilot Assaf Ramon.

Yotam will be spending the year engaging with Jewish communities of all ages in the Metrowest area and Rutgers University. We highly recommend having him speak to your group. You'll get some great stories about what it's like growing up in Israel and you'll be able to connect with a young Israeli who genuinely wants bring a bit of the Holy Land to the States. For more information contact Men's Club President Adam Shandler at adshandler@gmail.com.

Thanks to Yotam for giving us a strong start to the Men's Club 2009-10 programming calendar, and to Randi Brokman for suggesting this terrific speaker. (At right, Yotam Zach, center, poses with, from left, Men's Club VP Marty Schenker, Israel Committee Co-President Harvey Hershkowitz, Men's Club President Adam Shandler and Israel Committee Co-President Lee Gladstein.)

Men's Club Meeting - Tuesday, September 8, 8 pm

The next general meeting of the CAI Men's Club will take place on Tuesday night, September 8th at 8 pm. We will meet in the CAI conference rooms.

On the agenda:

*Finalizing details for the Sept. 15 speaking event with Yotam Zach

*Voting on CAI Men's Club logo

*Selecting a Man of the Year and Youth of the Year for the NNJR MOY Dinner in November

*Sukkah Building Update

*Scotch in the Sukkah Planning Update

Contact club president Adam Shandler if you'd like more info: adshandler@gmail.com or mensclubcai@gmail.com

Yotam Zach, Speaker for Sept 15 Event, Featured in NJJN

Yotam Zach, the 2009-10 MetroWest Youth Shaliach (emissary) from Israel, who will be speaking at CAI on September 15, was featured with fellow emissaries in the most recent edition of the New Jersey Jewish News.

Yotam and four other twenty-somethings are in the U.S. this year promoting kinship with American Jews and talking of their experiences as young Israelis.

Yotam, 23, was a soldier and intelligence officer in the IDF and twice represented the Tzofim Youth Caravan (Israeli Scouts) on public relations missions on behalf of the state of Israel.

If you don't subscribe to the NJJN you can download the article online right here: http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/081309/mwComingToAmerica.html

Yotam, pictured, back row, right, will speak to our congregation on Tuesday, September 15 at 8 pm in the CAI conference rooms. This event is co-sponsored by the Men's Club and the Israel Program Committee. There is no charge for this event but donations are appreciated and will benefit the October 25 CAI Walk for Israel.

For more information contact Adam Shandler, adshandler@gmail.com, or Harvey Hershkowitz at HSHINC@aol.com

(*Photo credited to Lori Silberman Brauner of the NJ Jewish News)