USY played a key role in my development as a person and a Jew. It empowered me to lead as I worked with my peers to craft programming and make decisions about the present and future of our chapter and our region. It enabled me to strengthen existing relationships (many of my best friends – to this very day – are people I spent time with in USY) and build new ones with fellow Jews across the country. It was also a welcome release from the pressures of high school since it was really just so much fun. Lastly, USY (Pilgrimage in particular) truly strengthened my Jewish identity and my love for Israel, a love that ultimately translated into me moving here permanently. Pilgrimage cemented my love for Israel and ultimately helped convince me to spend a year here after high school, which eventually led me to make Aliyah in 2013. I also became very close with our trip’s medic/security guard on the trip, and he ultimately introduced me to my wife after I made Aliyah.
I now live in the Samaritan mountains overlooking Tel Aviv with my wife, Adi, and our two young sons, Ivri (3 years old) and Boaz (8 months old). I’m a co-founder and CEO of D’vash Organics, a leading purveyor of date syrup and date-centric snacks in the US. Our products are carried in about 10,000 retail locations nationwide, including Whole Foods, Costco, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, ALDI, Safeway, Meijer, and many more. Our products are almost entirely manufactured in Dubai, and our partnership with Al Barakah Dates Factory was among the first Israeli-US-UAE partnerships formed after the Abraham Accords were signed.
USY empowers thousands of Jewish teenagers to create exceptional Jewish experiences, yet it can do so much more than that. Please consider making a contribution to USY’s annual campaign to ensure that USY has the resources to operate, staff, and expand it’s programs throughout the Jewish world.
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