Or Nehushtan, the former shaliach for Leeds, was given a grand send off.
The Leeds community recently bid a fond farewell to Or Nehushtan, the now former shaliach for the city and Israel emissary in the North of Britain.
After four years spent working with the community, Or, who was also a valued regular contributor to JLife Magazine, is set to return home to Israel and around 200 people turned out to wish him well for the future. Among the speakers at the event were Stan Cundle MBE, the trustee for Makor, Alexa Harris, the regional director of the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), Rael Goodman, the director of the Jewish Agency for Israel in Western Europe and Judge Laurence Saffer, the president of the Jewish Representative Council.
Speaking after the party in his honour, Or said of his own end of evening presentation: “[I did it] to thank the many people who helped, not only with my work and in working for Israel in the UK, but also for making it into a true home, and to show what we’ve all achieved together.
“We’ve been [involved in screening] 25 Israeli films and have arranged 40 different Israeli-focused events, presentations and talks and celebrated Israel’s independence days and commemorative ceremonies. We have also created partnerships between organisations around Israel-based activities, held the first ever pro-Israel rally in Leeds, introduced the Shinshinim project aimed at investing in the Zionist and Jewish education in North England, and much more.”
Or, who hails from Hod Hasharon in Israel, continued: “The community’s efforts of having a shaliach along with the UJIA and the Jewish Agency for Israel, has meant that now there are more Israel-centred activities, educational projects and events in Brodetsky Primary School, The Zone, Makor, and through many other different organisations in our community than there have been for decades, not to mention our partnership with our Christian friends in the region and the good work of Yorkshire Friends of Israel.”
JLife would like to thank Or for all his contributions and wishes him good luck for all his future adventures.
