Achinoam Salomon is thrilled to serve as the Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel JUC and is excited to bring her Israel to campus and build meaningful connections with students and the local community! Achinoam was raised in Ofra, Israel, in a Religious Zionist Orthodox home. Her deep connection to the Jewish people and Aliyah stems from her parents’ own journey to Israel and a strong sense of shared destiny. Growing up as an active member and youth group counselor (Madricha) in Bnei Akiva, Achinoam traveled to the U.S. as part of an Israeli delegation to work at Camp Moshava I.O. She then completed two years of National Service (Sherut Leumi), working with youth at risk in her first year and serving as a counselor for World Bnei Akiva’s gap year program for participants from Australia and South Africa in her second year.
During her undergraduate studies, Achinoam lived in the Otef Aza region as part of the Ayalim student village in moshav Yahini. While earning her B.A. in Communication and Journalism from Sapir College, she led a student scholarship group where she mentored Ethiopian-Israeli students and helped document inspiring Aliyah stories from the 80s.
Prior to moving to Pittsburgh, Achinoam completed a short-term shlicut in Australia, which reignited her passion for engaging with Diaspora Jewry. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, arts and crafts, traveling, and cooking.
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