Who Is This Random Israeli Who Suddenly Appeared at My FZY Shabbaton??

Meet Yasmin Krutik, FZY’s not-so-random Israeli.

Well, that’s a good question. Hi, it’s me, your random Israeli for the past couple of years, also known as Yasmin, or FZY’s Central Shlicha. Please feel free to read my answer to this question with a heavy Israeli accent, as that is exactly how I sound.

My journey to FZY began many years ago (well, maybe not that many, I’m only 27), when my family decided that enough was enough and it was time to move from Buenos Aires to a safer and more economically stable country. As a proud Argentinian-Jewish family, descendants of Jews who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe in 1910, my parents decided that making Aliyah to Israel was the best option for their two young daughters. It’s not for nothing that the Hebrew word Aliyah means “ascent”, and looking back, I believe they were right.

So there we went, mum, dad and two young girls, to an Aliyah interview with the Aliyah shaliach at the Jewish Agency building in Buenos Aires, ready to begin the Aliyah process. Aliyah Day, when I was four years old, is one of my earliest memories. I also kept hearing from my mum about “the nice Aliyah shaliach who answered all our questions and helped us through this long, complicated process”.

Since then, I can say that my identity has never felt 100% of anything. It is an interesting, and sometimes confusing, mix of Argentinian and Israeli. I have a light Spanish accent when I speak Hebrew, but a much heavier Hebrew accent when I speak English, as I proudly mentioned before. However, being an Ola (someone who made Aliyah) kept me connected to, and interested in, the relationship between Israel and Jewish communities around the world, as I feel I can understand and relate to both sides.

This connection helped me get accepted to the role of a Sar-El instructor during my military service, which I loved, where I worked with Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers from around the world. Later, I decided to apply to be a shlicha for the Jewish Agency. This led to my first shlichut in Athens, where I represented Hanoar Hatzioni in the Jewish community in Greece for a year.

But that was not enough, and I knew that another shlichut in a different Jewish community abroad was only a matter of time. I submitted my candidacy again through JAFI, and they connected me with Joel Jacobs and additional representatives of FZY. Through them, I heard for the first time about this wonderful and inspiring movement.

A few words about the shlichut process. After submitting an application, the Jewish Agency reviews the candidate’s background and experience, including whether they have experience in formal or informal education and familiarity with Jewish communities in the Diaspora. Step by step, the selection process moves forward, and JAFI matches, as Jews do love a good shidduch, the accepted shaliach or shlicha with the organisation and community that will suit them best for a few years. This matching is based on shared values, educational experience, religious outlook and mutual needs.

And so, about a year ago, I set out, together with my fiancé Kfir and Luna (our proudly Zionist and very obsessed dog), to take on my role as JAFI’s Central Shlicha. In this role, I am responsible for the educational vision of the movement and serve as an educational advisor, particularly around integrating education on Israel, Zionism and Judaism, as well as cooperation with other movements and organisations.

The shlichut role is time-limited and includes relocating to the community in which one works for several years. I am expected to complete my shlichut in August 2026, at which point you will receive a new shaliach or shlicha who will continue the cycle of the “random Israeli”. Like me, they will have the privilege of being exposed to an incredible movement and community. I must say that FZY’s perspective on Israel offers shlichim a breath of fresh air, a sense of hope and real inspiration, especially after the difficult years we have experienced as a nation and as Zionists.

This is also an opportunity to say thank you. I have been fortunate to work with FZY, and despite the language and cultural gaps that sometimes cause your random Israeli to feel a bit awkward, I was welcomed by movement members with open arms.

So the next time you see your shaliach at one of the Shabbatonim, know that they are probably impressed by you, drawing inspiration, receiving answers to questions about their Jewish, Israeli and Zionist identity, and yes, also asking themselves many new questions along the way.