Shalom friends,
As I enter my final year of shlichut in Colorado, I’m excited to keep building meaningful connections and spark thoughtful conversations about Israel.
I’ve created a range of interactive programs designed to engage hearts and minds – from salon discussions and lunch & learns to sessions on how to talk about Israel with teens or young adults. Each can be customized to your group’s interests and tone.
Interested in hosting or learning more? Schedule a quick Zoom chat. Let’s plan something that fits your community.
And don’t miss our upcoming community event, Israel Unfiltered: Social Media Trends and the Voice of Street, on December 3rd at 7:00 PM.
Warmly,
Nelly Ben Tal
JEWISHcolorado Shlicha
Sessions and workshops:
Israel’s Hidden Changemakers
At a time when the news often focuses on challenges and conflict, this program invites us to discover another Israel—one powered by grassroots initiatives, social movements, and NGOs quietly (and sometimes loudly) building a better future. These hidden changemakers, often missing from mainstream stories, embody resilience, coexistence, and creativity.
Two years after the dark day of Simchat Torah, their stories remind us that renewal is not only possible, it is already happening. Through their inspiring examples, we’ll explore how ordinary people across Israel are driving extraordinary change and lighting the path toward a more compassionate, innovative, and hopeful society. And through these initiatives and leaders, we’ll gain a deeper look into Israeli society – uncovering insights and data that reveal the trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges shaping the modern State of Israel today.
Israel Unfiltered: Social Media Trends and the Voice of the Street
Step into the vibrant world of Israeli social media to see how everyday Israelis are talking, joking, debating, and reacting to today’s realities.
Using viral posts, memes, and local online commentary, we’ll explore what’s capturing Israelis’ attention—from political debates to pop culture moments and the humorous, clever ways people express themselves online. Participants will see what’s trending in real time, what Israelis are laughing at, worrying about, and celebrating, and gain a deeper understanding of Israel’s social and cultural pulse far beyond the headlines.
This program blends seriousness and play, insight and humor, offering an unfiltered, authentic snapshot of Israel today as reflected through its social media.
Shoshke’s Daily Postcard: Hope and Renewal Through Art
Discover the remarkable art project of Israeli artist Ze’ev “Shoshke” Engelmayer, who has created and posted a daily illustrated postcard responding to life in Israel.
Since October 7, his art has captured the nation’s grief, humor, and resilience, transforming pain into protest, memory into creativity. Displayed at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, his work reflects the emotional landscape of a country healing through art.
Through Shoshke’s whimsical yet profound lens, we explore how humor and imagination help sustain hope in even the darkest times.
From the Front Lines to the Heart: The Soundtrack of the Israeli People
*Inspired by Matti Friedman’s “Who by Fire” (From Leonard to the Cohens of Israel)
Music has always been Israel’s mirror, capturing its heartbreak, hope, and unbreakable spirit. This program explores how Israelis have turned moments of war and loss into songs of reflection, resilience, and renewal.
At its core is the story told in Matti Friedman’s acclaimed book, Who by Fire, Leonard Cohen’s journey to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Cohen arrived disillusioned and lost, but through intimate, improvised performances for soldiers, he rediscovered meaning, creativity, and connection.
His transformation—from despair to presence—reflects the path of an entire nation learning to sing again after heartbreak. Building on this lens, we’ll journey through Israel’s war songs from 1948 to today, from anthems of courage to quiet laments, uncovering what they reveal about public opinion, identity, and the collective Israeli soul.
By the end, participants will experience how Israel’s story can be heard, not just told, through the power of its music.
Writing on the Wall: Graffiti as a Window into Israeli Society
In Israel, like in many places around the globe, the walls speak.
Through this colorful journey, we’ll explore street art and graffiti as powerful expressions of public opinion, protest, and identity, from Tel Aviv’s bustling Florentin district to Jerusalem’s hidden corners, and Haifa’s marketplace.
Each mural tells a story: of unity and tension, grief and resilience, laughter and love. Participants will learn how visual art becomes a social mirror, capturing the spirit, struggles, and creativity of Israeli life in motion. A powerful and accessible way to connect to Israel’s voice – raw, spontaneous, and alive.
What Will You Craft For?
Israeli Craftivism: Threads of Change from Bezalel to Today
Get hands-on and create your own craftivist piece while exploring the rich history of Israeli craftivism. Whether printing, knitting, or using another medium, participants will express personal connections to Israeli identity, social issues, and shared Jewish values through art and activism.
Craftivism in Israel has blended art and social change since 1906, when Boris Schatz founded the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem to revive Jewish art through traditional techniques and modern design. Generations of artists and artisans have shaped Israel’s cultural identity through this legacy.
Today, Israeli craftivists continue to innovate. Artists like Tal Fitzpatrick bring activism into contemporary art, while projects such as Merav Shaked’s 2022 RokmotTehillim embroidery initiative foster dialogue and unity within Israeli society.
In this program, participants will explore the history, impact, and ongoing creativity of Israeli craftivism, all while making their own meaningful piece of art that speaks to personal values and social engagement.
Israel Votes 2026: What’s Changing — And What It Says About Us
As Israel heads toward its next national election in October 2026, the country stands at a crossroads between war and recovery, unity and polarization, tradition and innovation. This program takes a sharp, engaging look at the battles of ideas shaping the future of Israeli democracy: security vs. economy, religion vs. state, and the growing divide between the political old guard and a new generation of voices demanding change.
Through key debates from the current Knesset session, opinion polls, and even the most-searched words on Israeli Google, we’ll uncover what Israelis are really talking about – and what keeps them up at night. From the recruitment crisis and public debate over national service to the rise of new centrist movements seeking pragmatic coalitions and fresh solutions to Israel’s social and security challenges, we’ll explore who’s gaining ground, what trends are redefining the political map, and what these shifts reveal about Israel’s future.
More than just politics (and it is not about politics!), this program is an invitation to ask what kind of Israel is rising from the challenges of recent years, and how can we, from afar, connect to its energy, arguments, and renewal?
Land, Nation, People – The Israeli Identity in Motion (Eretz, Medina, Am)
Israel’s story is built on three intertwined pillars – עם (People), ארץ (Land), and מדינה (State). Each represents a different layer of belonging, purpose, and identity – and together, they form the heart of the ongoing Israeli journey.
This workshop invites you to explore how these elements connect, overlap, and sometimes collide in today’s Israel. Through interactive discussion, visual storytelling, and contemporary case studies, we’ll unpack how Israelis today navigate their relationship to the land, the state, and the Jewish people worldwide.
By examining these tensions and harmonies, we will gain a deeper and more personal understanding of Israel’s evolving identity – and reflect on our own place within it.
Timely Topics Programs:
- Current Events / Lunch & Learn – Conversations on Current Events
- In Conversation with an Israeli – “Ask Me Anything”
- Beyond the Headlines – An Alternative Perspective on Israel’s News