Israeli Chronicles — Connecting Israel & Cincinnati
Welcome to Ben and Ido, Cincinnati’s New Friends from Israel / Chaverim
We at the Jewish Federation’s Israel Center are proud to welcome 19-year-old Ben Pines and 18-year-old Ido Bachar, who will be serving the Cincinnati community as this year’s Chaverim M’Israel, or Friends from Israel. Ben and Ido are both from Netanya, Jewish Cincinnati’s sister city in Israel, and were selected as the top two candidates from that city to represent Israel in Cincinnati. Both have chosen to defer their army service in Israel for a year in order to help the Cincinnati community form an increased awareness of and a connection with the land, culture, and people of Israel through education and interpersonal relationships.
Ben recently graduated from Sharet High School in Netanya, where he majored in theater, psychology, and economics. He was active in Israeli scouting (Tzofim) and loves basketball. He has already been accepted into the Israeli Naval Academy, and will attend next year when he starts his Israel Defense Forces service.
Ido is a recent graduate of Tchernichovski High School in Netanya, where he majored in social science and cinematography. He was also active in Israeli scouting. He has a passion for music, and can play several instruments. Next year, he hopes to join the intelligence forces of the Israeli military.
Ben and Ido are available to come to schools and organizations throughout Cincinnati to educate others about Israel. If you would like to know more about the Chaverim M’Israel Program contact Program Director Sharon Spiegel at sspiegel@jfedcin.org.
