The American Zionist Movement announced the winners of the Spring 2012 Helyn B Reich Memorial Scholarship Fund Awards at the end of January. Both winners were outstanding candidates, who exemplify the kind of drive and passion the committee looks for in its scholarship recipients.
Sarah Warshawsky will be participating in the MASA Career Israel program this spring. Currently Sarah works as the Director of Political Affairs for the Consulate General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico. Though Sarah grew up in a Jewish household, it was difficult to live the daily life of a Zionist growing up in a Texas community with a small Jewish population. Sarah had an awakening while attending college in Oklahoma where she was fortunate enough to participate in Middle Eastern political science courses taught by a guest Israeli professor. According to Sarah, “Israel has held a special place in my soul since I can remember. I have grown up all over this country and in unusual places for most Jews. Houston, Texas to Austin, Texas to school in Oklahoma, I know what it is like to not be of the majority. My solace was learning, studying and living Israel. I felt a sense of urgency, urgency to get up and move to Israel right away. I wanted to fight for Israel; I wanted to become a part of the majority.” Sarah hopes to use this experience of working and living in Israel to not only further her connection to the country on a personal level but also her future career as a U.S. politician or diplomat working to support Israel.
Daniel Romero has had to overcome many adversities in his life. Thus his application was especially inspiring to the members of the Helyn B, Reich Memorial Scholarship Fund committee. A graduate of Berkeley Law of the University of California , Daniel will hold an intern position of Foreign Law Clerk with the Supreme Court of Israel while participating in the OU IFS Career Track of the Masa Career Israel Program next year. Daniel believes that it was during an enlightening stay in Israel where his Zionism first came alive. In his own words, it was on a trip to Sderot that “it became clear to me that this place, among many places, needed law and justice more than any place back home. It also needs to be understood more than any other place in America. For American Jews, this is especially the case and others in the Diaspora, as we are so necessarily tied to this place, and have a role to play in its development, through the ballot box and the foreign policy of our governments. We have a share in its responsibility for justice and in furthering its development.” Inspired by Theodor Herzl, Daniel hopes to make his year in Israel another step in realizing the Zionist vision for justice and peace both in Israel and for the Jewish people.
Ohad Knoller, Karmit Arbel
