Meet our Maccabi Shlichim
Shahar Frank
Maccabi USA Shaliach Read moreShahar was born in Hadera and spent most of his childhood at Maccabi Tzair Youth Movement. After graduating high school and before joining the IDF, he chose to dedicate, as a volunteer, one more year to the Maccabi Tzair community at Beer Sheva. At the IDF Shahar served as a commander at the Nahal infantry brigade and on 2013 Independence Day was awarded with the Honor of the President of Israel’s Outstanding Soldiers Award. In the year 2018, Shahar graduated from Ben Gurion University with a B.A. in Businesses Administration and Education. In his last job, Shahar was managing the Operations for a leading corporate events production company in Tel Aviv. At the end of 2020, Shahar rejoined the Maccabi movement and started serving as the Central Shaliach in NA. Shahar is based in Philadelphia and is focusing on promoting Maccabi movement in North American, Israeli education and connections between North America TO's and MWU.
Contact Shahar: [email protected]
Adi Ratzon
Baltimore Zionist District Shlicha Read moreAdi Ratzon was born in 1990 and grew up in Ramat Gan, Israel. Adi was part of the “Maccabi Tzair” Youth Movement throughout her childhood and she worked with kids and teens. After finishing High School, Adi chose to do a year of voluntary social service in the city of Beer Sheva instead of drafting right away. In 2009, Adi drafted into the IDF, where she served in the Karkal Unit, which is a unique co-ed combat unit based in Southern Israel. After the army, Adi rejoined Maccabi Tzair and worked for them for six years. Adi holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Adi is now the Shlicha for the Baltimore Zionist District and is working within the community to bring the Israeli culture and feeling to Baltimore. Adi is focusing on Israel education, Israel experience and on the rise of Anti-Semitism, BDS and Holocaust Denial. Adi is currently in her second year of Shlichut.
Contact Adi: [email protected]
Guy Sela
Maccabi Shaliach to San Diego Read moreGuy Sela was born in South Africa and then moved to Israel with his family. Guy served as a commending officer in the paratroopers brigade in the IDF. After he released from the military Guy studied his degree in law and political science in the IDC Herzliya while running teens programs in the Maccabi youth movement in Israel. Guy is still serving in the IDF as a company commander in reserve. Guy is working for the Jewish teen initiative at the JCC of San Diego and in charge of the Israel education in and the development of community partners.
Contact Guy: [email protected]
Nitzan Ben Shaya
BBYO Central Shlicha Read moreNitzan is the Maccabi World Union central Shlicha at BBYO, based in Washington DC. She was born and raised in Maccabim-Reut, Israel. She grew up in Maccabi Tzair and started her Shlichut as the Maccabi Shlicha and a camp counselor at BBYO- Perlman camp, became a "Rosh Mishlachat" (head of the delegation), and worked as a Jewish Educator. Nitzan served two years as a tanks instructor at the armor unit in the IDF. Nitzan completed a two years internship at Member of Knesset Omer Bar-lev office in Jerusalem. She has also worked as a program manager and event producer at the Jerusalem Municipality for teens to prepper them to serve in the IDF. Prior to taking this full-time role at BBYO, Nitzan worked for Maccabi and BBYO from Israel, recruiting and training Shlichim for camps, preparing delegations to International Convention, and working on the partnership between BBYO and Maccabi World Union. Nitzan holds a B.A in Political Science and Middle Eastern studies from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. she also studied abroad as part of the European Union’s Erasmus+ program at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Nitzan loves to swim, to sing, and mostly to travel and hike. She spent two month hiking in Israel on the Israel National Trail (INT) and have traveled in South and Central America for 7 months. Today Nitzan is the Maccabi World Union central Shlicha at BBYO, based in Washington DC. She is on her 3rd year of Shlichut, she works to bring Israel to teens from around the world and helps them create Israel programs, bring Israeli speakers and much more. She is working to create meaningful connections between Israeli teens from Maccabi Tzair and BBYO teens from around the world through a unique program calls BBYO-MTZ Ambassadors Fellowship. Lastly, she is recruiting BBYO teens to join the new Maccabi Gap Year program in Israel.
Contact Nitzan: [email protected]
Shahar was born in Hadera and spent most of his childhood at Maccabi Tzair Youth Movement. After graduating high school and before joining the IDF, he chose to dedicate, as a volunteer, one more year to the Maccabi Tzair community at Beer Sheva. At the IDF Shahar served as a commander at the Nahal infantry brigade and on 2013 Independence Day was awarded with the Honor of the President of Israel’s Outstanding Soldiers Award. In the year 2018, Shahar graduated from Ben Gurion University with a B.A. in Businesses Administration and Education. In his last job, Shahar was managing the Operations for a leading corporate events production company in Tel Aviv. At the end of 2020, Shahar rejoined the Maccabi movement and started serving as the Central Shaliach in NA. Shahar is based in Philadelphia and is focusing on promoting Maccabi movement in North American, Israeli education and connections between North America TO's and MWU.
Contact Shahar: [email protected]
Adi Ratzon was born in 1990 and grew up in Ramat Gan, Israel. Adi was part of the “Maccabi Tzair” Youth Movement throughout her childhood and she worked with kids and teens. After finishing High School, Adi chose to do a year of voluntary social service in the city of Beer Sheva instead of drafting right away. In 2009, Adi drafted into the IDF, where she served in the Karkal Unit, which is a unique co-ed combat unit based in Southern Israel. After the army, Adi rejoined Maccabi Tzair and worked for them for six years. Adi holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Adi is now the Shlicha for the Baltimore Zionist District and is working within the community to bring the Israeli culture and feeling to Baltimore. Adi is focusing on Israel education, Israel experience and on the rise of Anti-Semitism, BDS and Holocaust Denial. Adi is currently in her second year of Shlichut.
Contact Adi: [email protected]
Guy Sela was born in South Africa and then moved to Israel with his family. Guy served as a commending officer in the paratroopers brigade in the IDF. After he released from the military Guy studied his degree in law and political science in the IDC Herzliya while running teens programs in the Maccabi youth movement in Israel. Guy is still serving in the IDF as a company commander in reserve. Guy is working for the Jewish teen initiative at the JCC of San Diego and in charge of the Israel education in and the development of community partners.
Contact Guy: [email protected]
Nitzan is the Maccabi World Union central Shlicha at BBYO, based in Washington DC. She was born and raised in Maccabim-Reut, Israel. She grew up in Maccabi Tzair and started her Shlichut as the Maccabi Shlicha and a camp counselor at BBYO- Perlman camp, became a "Rosh Mishlachat" (head of the delegation), and worked as a Jewish Educator. Nitzan served two years as a tanks instructor at the armor unit in the IDF. Nitzan completed a two years internship at Member of Knesset Omer Bar-lev office in Jerusalem. She has also worked as a program manager and event producer at the Jerusalem Municipality for teens to prepper them to serve in the IDF. Prior to taking this full-time role at BBYO, Nitzan worked for Maccabi and BBYO from Israel, recruiting and training Shlichim for camps, preparing delegations to International Convention, and working on the partnership between BBYO and Maccabi World Union. Nitzan holds a B.A in Political Science and Middle Eastern studies from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. she also studied abroad as part of the European Union’s Erasmus+ program at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Nitzan loves to swim, to sing, and mostly to travel and hike. She spent two month hiking in Israel on the Israel National Trail (INT) and have traveled in South and Central America for 7 months. Today Nitzan is the Maccabi World Union central Shlicha at BBYO, based in Washington DC. She is on her 3rd year of Shlichut, she works to bring Israel to teens from around the world and helps them create Israel programs, bring Israeli speakers and much more. She is working to create meaningful connections between Israeli teens from Maccabi Tzair and BBYO teens from around the world through a unique program calls BBYO-MTZ Ambassadors Fellowship. Lastly, she is recruiting BBYO teens to join the new Maccabi Gap Year program in Israel.
Contact Nitzan: [email protected]
Education Dept. duties thus include selecting, training, orienting and assisting shlichim in the field.
MWU Shlichut serves many purposes and has many responsibilities:
- Identifying TO's issues, problems and needs
- Setting local, regional or continental agendas, including projects for volunteer leadership, professionals, educators and activists, and coordinating activities in TO's for regional and continental cooperation
- Systematizing internal Confederation leadership meetings, especially to maintain existing projects, and advance new joint projects, and supporting organization of leaders' meetings
- Systematizing uptake of Education Dept.'s programs and concerns by professionals, leaders, subordinate shlichim, and activists
- Supporting efforts for Maccabi's top events, Maccabiot and Regional Maccabi Games
- Marketing & recruiting for annual MWU Israel Programs in the MASA frame
- Marketing & recruiting for short-term or special MWU Israel Programs
- Confederation connections & communications with the National Institutions, through their local representatives or directly with the centers in Israel, and with other organizations
- Organizing national, regional & international meetings on community topics
- Young leadership development through programs, seminars, workshops, lectures, etc.
The nature of the Shlichut and the role of the Shaliach depend on the place and community.
The Shlichut is a joint mission of Maccabi World Union and the Jewish Agency for Israel, and therefore the Shlichim must pass both the official selection process of the Jewish Agency and the process of the movement.
Do you think you can be a Maccabi Shaliach? Apply here!
