After 49 very happily married years to his wife, Ellen, Steve Rosenbaum has fallen in love again – and Ellen is all for it.
This time Steve’s love affair is with Arizona Friends of Israeli Scouts, a program he chairs and enjoys with Ellen’s heartfelt support, commitment and dedication.
The Rosenbaum’s back story in the Valley begins some 15 years ago when they made the move from New York. Retired school teachers and self-described ardent Zionists, they wasted no time in volunteering within the Jewish community. Steve credits Sherman Minkoff with “welcoming us into community activism and introducing us to the great people who were working on behalf of Israel.”
Within a short time the Rosenbaums had signed on to coordinate and schedule placement for 1,200 volunteers for the 2001 Maccabi Games. They co-chaired three consecutive Israel Independence Day programs (2002, 03 and 04) with thousands in attendance on the grounds of the Ina Levine Jewish Communy Campus. They coordinated scheduling and responsibilities for 620 volunteers when the Ben Yehudah Mall project took place here to raise much-needed monies for the Jewish state. They chaired the Israel Center on the campus, and Ellen chaired the center’s Birthright Israel campaign for two years.
But it was Eitan Ben-Ami, a former JCC-based shaliach (ambassador), who encouraged Steve to join the Israeli Scouts committee. “He was right,” Steve says. At the time, Irwin Harris had been at the helm for 30-plus years. “When Irwin stepped down he asked me to step in. By then my heart – and Ellen’s heart – were in it, because we fell in love with the program. Now the scouts (“tzofim” in Hebrew) have our hearts and souls.”
The Friendship Caravan program, now in its 41st year, is made up of male and female 16- and 17-year-old Israeli scout leaders who are chosen through an intensive and competitive selection process. They travel throughout the U.S. each summer teaching about Israel through a unique blend of song, dance and story at venues including camps, synagogues, senior citizen centers, inner city middle schools and some churches. “They are the best goodwill ambassadors the Jewish state could have,” Steve says. “They are bright, beautiful, charismatic, talented and entertaining emissaries.” Steve says that tears often flow when the scouts leave a community. “It is eight days of joy for host families,” he says. “The connection is magical – especially since we are all aware that within the next year they likely will be in army – on the Golan or in Hebron – defending their nation.” Adult family members often take time off from work to feed, entertain and fuss over their Israeli guests. A “day off,” culminating in a pool party for all scouts and host families, allows for special outings and might involve trips to Sedona, Bartlett Lake, Wickenburg, shopping malls, movies and more. It is not unusual for long-term relationships to evolve from hosting a scout. When Deena Lernor, daughter of Valley residents Michelle and Eric, participated in Birthright Israel, she spent two additional days in the Jewish state with Daniel Galiki and his family. Daniel had stayed with the Lernors when he visited here as part of the Scout Caravan. “The hosting experience has been so positive for our family,” says Eric Lernor, adding that his daughter hopes to return to Israel before long for another visit.
Planning for the Caravan, “to make it happen,” takes a full year, Steve says. Board members have to secure locations, choose and guide host families, arrange publicity, coordinate scheduling and raise money. Steve explains that the national organization bills local communities $1,200 a day. Venues are asked to pitch in $550, and at the conclusion of each performance, Steve or a board member makes a pitch in the hopes of raising necessary dollars. There also is an annual fundraising effort through the mail.
Admission is free for performances, and several of them, including those at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Ronald MacDonald House and Kivel Campus of Care, fall into the category of mitzvot. “No money comes in on these days,” Steve says, “so we need that much more in the way of donations to cover our expenses.”
For additional information or to make a donation, Steve welcomes phone calls at 480-216-4280 or write Arizona Friends of Israeli Scouts, PO Box 28982, Scottsdale, AZ 85255-0166.
Schedule for 2014 Israeli Scouts Friendship Caravan
Monday, June 16: Tucson JCC; Details: Jennifer Ferrel at 520-577-9393; Tuesday, June 17: 7 pm, Beth el Congregation; Wednesday, June 18:10 am, Kivel; 7 pm, Or Chadash/Har Zion at Har Zion
Thursday, June 19: 6:30 pm, Camp Daisy Stein, Prescott; Friday, June 20: 7 pm, Temple B’rith shalom, Prescott; Sunday, June 22: 11 am, Beth Shalom; 4 pm, Temple Chai; Monday, June 23: Vos JCC all day; 7 pm, Arizona Jewish Historical Society
Tuesday, June 24: 1 pm, The Terraces; 7 pm, Temple Solel; Wednesday, June 25: 11 am, Phoenix Children’s Hospital
