From Ethiopia to Israel: Batya Shmueli shares her unique journey of resilience.
Batya Shmueli, who serves as Resource Development and Community Relations Manager at Yemin Orde Youth Village, recently toured the northeast region of the U.S. to share her personal journey of resilience and transformation.
Batya met with individuals, Foundations, Jewish Federations, synagogues and Jewish day schools in New York, New Jersey and Greenwich, CT. She shared her unique journey of growing up in Ethiopia and adjusting to the fast pace of modern Israel.
Among the synagogues that hosted Batya for discussions were Sutton Place Synagogue (NYC), Agudath Israel (Northern NJ), and Temple Sholom (Greenwich, CT). Batya also addressed the eighth graders at the Gottesman RTW Academy as well as fifth graders at Congregation Agudath Israel, both in Caldwell, NJ.
Thank you to everyone who helped organize discussions and meetings with Batya during her 10-day stay in the U.S. Our Israeli leadership visits the U.S. several times during the year to share news from Yemin Orde and Village Way Educational Initiatives.
Batya is a popular and welcoming presence at the Village. She accompanies visitors to Yemin Orde on a daily basis, and introduces her family and private history as a way to connect guests to “the Village Way”.
Batya shares her story of resilience with U.S. audiences
Batya grew up on the banks of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. Her story is one of transition from agrarian village life to the fast pace of modern Israel – the land that her forefathers dreamed of.
After arriving in Israel in 1991, Batya and her family lived in a caravan adjacent to a small town in the Galilee. After living there for three years, she attended a residential high school. The institutional environment of this school proved to be a tremendous culture shock to Batya.
After high school, Batya served in the Navy with an elite naval commando unit. She received a B.A. from Haifa University where she studied teaching and the history of the Jewish People. Read more about Batya’s journey.
If you are interested in helping to spread the word about Yemin Orde in your community, contact one of our regional representatives to help facilitate a program.