The course is geared towards native English speakers who possess basic familiarity with the culture and needs of communities in Anglo countries. Participants are equipped with practical skills and tools, and benefit from professional guidance and top speakers within a supportive learning and ideas-sharing environment. Participants receive a monthly stipend.

Shalhevet broadens the participants’ knowledge base and builds their personal capacity as a shaliach. A relevant and practical course, Shalhevet is taught on a level that enables participants to give over all the shiurim themselves. Lecturers have included Rav David Aaron, Rav Moshe Berliner, Neil Lazarus, Prof. Elliott Malamet, Rav Rafi Ostroff, Rav Ian Pear, Rav Doron Perez, Rav Sam Shor, Rabbanit Shani Taragin, Rav Binyamin Zimmerman and Rav Andrew Shaw.

The two-year curriculum consists of three parts:

  1. Halacha and general knowledge relating to communal issues participants will face during their shlichut
  2. Useful tools and skills, e.g. Chatan/Kallah training, Israel advocacy, public speaking, counseling, mediation and more
  3. The Jewish life-cycle and chagim

Shalhevet also includes group-bonding elements, such as several half-day tours and two group Shabbatot, designed to galvanize the group into a network of shlichim who can collaborate and gain from each other’s experiences. Participants will be given guidance in preparing a presentation for their peers in the program, which will also provide an atmosphere for feedback and collaboration.

Shalhevet meets in Jerusalem every Sunday evening (September through June) so as to minimize the interference with participants’ studies/work.

For more information and to schedule an interview, please contact Educational Director Rav Hillel Van-Leeuwen at ravhillel@mizrachi.org.

Rav Yonatan and Avital Hirschhorn

Campus Educators
University of Maryland

“During their critical university years, many of the students – including some who have just returned from their year in Israel – lack a spiritual framework to grow. We provide a Jewish and Torah environment for them to connect and engage.

There are some 3,000 Jewish students at our university and there is enormous potential to make a difference here. Mizrachi’s Shalhevet leadership program gave us – both individually and together – powerful and relevant training on so many levels to succeed in our holy task”.