Meet Your Staff: Vinnie, Robyn, and Yossi
Vince Pine
Where are you from originally and where do you live now? Chicago.
When did you go to Israel for the first time? 2008.
What's your favorite Israeli food to eat and favorite place to eat it at? Ben Yehuda... Hamarosh at the bottom of Ben Yehuda next to Kikar Zion
What's a fun fact about you? I am a certified scuba diver.
What's one thing about Israel that you wish you could bring back to America with you? The food........ shawarma
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel? Jerusalem.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim? Why wouldn't you want to go on the ONLY trip where you can see Israel for all 10 days with the people who know Israel best?
What is your spirit animal and why? The Clydesdale horse.
Robyn Schneider
Where are you from originally and where do you live now? From Arizona/Iowa and live in Chicago now.
What do you do for a living? Development Professional at JUF.
When did you go to Israel for the first time? When I was 16 I went with USY Poland/Israel Pilgrimage.
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel? It is REALLY hard to narrow down to one, but I'll say the Kotel in Jerusalem.
What's a fun fact about yourself? I have visited over 30 countries.
What's your favorite Israeli food/favorite place in Israel to eat it? Falafel and Hummus in Abu Ghosh.
What's your spirit animal? I am a tiger, because that is what the spirit animal quiz told me. I am definitely a person who cares about others' feelings and the tiger puts a special emphasis on raw feelings and emotions. By affinity with this spirit animal, the quiz tells me that I enjoy dealing with life matters spontaneously, trusting my intuition and acting fast when needed.
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be? The feeling of family.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim? It's the best way to experience Israel hands-on, not just seeing the usual sites but adventures off the beaten track as well.
Yossi Nameri
How long have you been a guide? 37 years.
What's your favorite Shorashim memory? Meeting Anne Lansky.
What's a fun fact about yourself? Love Israeli folk dancing.
What's your favorite food to eat in Israel and favorite place to eat it? Kube okra in Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem.
What's your favorite place to take groups to visit? Ein Gedi.
What's your favorite city in Israel and why? Haifa - beautiful view, green nature, near the sea, coexistence between Jews and non-Jews.
What do you love most about Israel? The history is alive and continue every day by Israelies that are very involved in the society.
What do you love most about Shorashim? Having Israelies for 10 days in Taglit and all the time in the high school trip.
Why is it important to you to have Israelis on the trip for all 10 days? The Israelis are the soul of the trip because they bring the spirit of the state of Israel, nowadays, the modern hebrew language, the songs and the music, the arguments and the agreements, the life of soldiers in IDF, and the students life in Israel, the non-politicly corect behaviour and the friendship, without any condition. With Israelis, we can easier talk about things that has to be change and hopes for better Jewish state. From the beginning in the airport, the Israelis are full participants til the last day and by this the group become a unite family for 10 days that continues after the saying "shalom" by the conection, visits and... Facebook.
Anything else that you want to share? Hope to continue many more years!
If you could say one thing to future participants, what would it be? You will be surprised how much the trip with impact you, both as an American or an Israeli participant.
