Hey everyone! My name is Noa Kurlender and I am one of the four new Shinshinim in Colorado. A Shinshin is the Hebrew shortcut for "Shnat Shierot"- A year of service, a program that allows us to postpone our mandatory IDF service by a year and volunteer. There are many different kinds of Shinshinim in Israel, but I really wanted to experience the difference between Israel and the U.S, and bring the Jewish community in Colorado closer to Israel, and hopefully the bring Colorado back to Israel with me. The Shinshinim work at Jewish clubs at public high schools, at Denver Jewish Day School, at CU boulder, CSU and DU Hillel, at the Boulder JCC, and many different synagogues in Denver and Boulder. Being a Shinshin definitely means learning something you every day- about ourselves, about America and about our homeland. I am so thankful for the right I've been given to spend my Shinshin here in Colorado, and especially to share my journey with you. Until we leave after summer camps and go back to Israel to serve in IDF, I will document some of the amazing things we get to do here and share them with you. A little bit about myself- I am the oldest of 3. My family lives in Atlit, a town 10 minutes away from Haifa, just by the beach. I graduated high school a few months ago. I majored in Computer Science and Physics, and hope that my army service will have something to do with these subjects. I love reading books and going on hikes, and enjoy Colorado views so much!