Growing up is universally daunting. For 17-year-old Israelis Michal Sivam and Daphne Pridor, the process of crossing the barrier into adulthood has been anything but typical. 

The two girls have spent the entire summer living in America through a program called Friends of Israel Scouts Summer Delegation. The goal of the program is to connect American and Israeli Jewish communities through teenage “shlichot” overseas.

“Every year, they send 50 or 40 kids all over North America to summer camps,” Michal said. “Our main job is to work at summer camps, to come into the communities, and to bring Israel to those places.”

As Israeli Scouts, the girls spent two weeks in St. Louis before going to Camp Ben Frankel in Southern Illinois for five weeks. After camp, they returned to St. Louis to stay with another host family and work at the Jewish Community Center Day Camp. 

“The Scouts bring a flavor of Israel to our camp,” said JCC Day Camp Director Brad Chotiner. “As a Jewish camp, we want to provide our campers with a well-rounded Jewish experience.”

Chotiner said that introducing campers to Israeli culture, history and customs is a key goal of camp. The shlichot learn the skills that all camp staff learn, which includes communication, problem solving, and creative thinking.  

“They also learn a lot about American and Jewish American cultures,” he added. “They make American friends.”

In addition to their primary job of educating Americans about what it’s like to be Israeli, the girls have lived as real American teenagers. They visited some of St. Louis’ biggest attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, the Delmar Loop, the City Museum, Ted Drewes, Busch Stadium and their favorite: Six Flags.

“We went to the Cardinals game, which was our first baseball game,” Michal said. “Everyone has [jerseys], and we had them, too. It was really fun.”

Daphne and Michal noticed many differences between the lives and customs of American and Israeli teenagers. Some of the more noticeable ones can be seen in the food and language of the two countries.

“It’s a different culture. People behave differently than they behave in Israel,” Michal said. “Our whole routine was changed. The time that you eat meals, how you behave when you go places, or the things that you do. The routine and the behaviors are really different from what we’re used to.”

Perhaps the biggest difference between the lives of Israeli and American teenagers is way society marks the movement into adulthood. In America, teenagers who graduate from high school are expected to go to college or get a job; in Israel, they join the army.

“[In Israel], the time when you finish being a teenager is when you go to the army,” Michal said. “[In America,] you start to think: ‘Where am I going to work? How am I going to make money? I need to go to college, and learn stuff.’ Right after high school, you’re rushing to be an adult but you were just a teenager five minutes ago. What’s the difference? Here, you start your real life just when you finish high school.”

Even though Israeli citizens are required to join the Israeli Defense Forces at age 18, the girls say that teens are passionate about defending their homeland and understand the importance of joining the military. Most are willing to go, and see it as the transition to adulthood.

“We love our country and we really think that this is the thing that we need to do for our country,” Daphne said. “Not because we want to fight, or kill or win the war. We need to protect ourselves. We want to protect ourselves. Even though it’s scary, and it’s difficult, we want to do it because we love our country, we want to defend it, and we want to defend our family, too.”

Despite the differences between Israel and America, the girls have seen that teens in both countries are engaged and involved in their communities. They have noticed that many teenagers here are active in sports teams or athletic activities. Back at home, Daphne is in a training program to help her prepare to join the Israeli Defense Forces, while Michal swims; and both girls spend a lot of time with their Israeli Scouts groups.

“Everybody [was] so welcoming in opening their hearts to us,” Daphne said. “It makes me feel that I will want to come back. [I will] leave here and know that this is [not] a total goodbye. I want to come back.”

Though the traditions and culture differ between Israel and America, the girls are thankful that the Jewish communities are very tightly knit both back home and in St. Louis. The girls felt a part of the St. Louis Jewish community as soon as they arrived.

“The way people welcomed us into their lives and shared with us, and talked to us, and helped us [is amazing],” Michal said. 

“People really opened their hearts for us, and it’s great. [I have] this feeling that I really want to come back. When I left [Israel], all I was worried about was leaving home. Now, the thing that I am worried about is that I am leaving [my] home here and [my American] family, the people I met here.”