Community can say farewell to shaliach

The community is invited to join in a farewell celebration in honor of Gilor Meshulam, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s shaliach (Israeli emissary), who will return to Israel this summer. The program will take place June 2, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Board Room at the Dwares JCC. 

After several years in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he earned the rank of captain, Meshulam joined the Providence community as the shaliach, assigned by the Jewish Agency for Israel. He has taught in most of the schools of the Jewish community and also presented programs at many synagogues and community organizations. He also worked at Camp JORI and the Dwares JCC and conducted regular programs for the Hillels of Brown University and URI, and he was an active member of (401)j. Meshulam recently began a Zionist reading group that meets monthly to discuss classic Zionist works and how they relate to today’s issues.

A native of Herzliyah, Meshulam will reside in Jerusalem, where he will be a student at Hebrew University in the prestigious Revivim program, working toward a master’s degree. This program prepares a select group to teach Judaic studies in Israeli high schools.

He will be joined in Israel eventually by Rachel Shmookler, originally of Buffalo, to whom he recently became engaged. She has been working at Asa, a GIS (geographic information systems) company in South County Commons.

Anyone who plans to attend the farewell celebration should contact Jana Brenman, at Jbrenman@Jewishallianceri.org. Due to the Dwares JCC renovations, use the entrance at 130 Sessions St. to reach the Board Room for this program.