Farewells and New Beginnings: Jewish Agency Renews Mission in Brazil
The Jewish Agency for Israel gathered last week at São Paulo’s Hebraica Club, bringing together leaders, educators, youth, and representatives of various institutions from the Brazilian Jewish community to honor Estela Schorr, who concluded her three-year term as Netzigá (the organization’s representative in Brazil), and to welcome Merav Kalik Lerner, who now assumes the role and will carry this mission forward.
CONIB was represented by its executive director, Sergio Napchan, on an evening that celebrated not only a leadership transition but also a journey built through bonds, partnerships, and community presence.
Leading the Brazilian representation during a period of profound change, Estela faced challenges that took on new dimensions especially after the October 7, 2023 attacks. Her work was marked by dedication to strengthening the connection between Israel and Brazil’s Jewish communities, with special attention to education, youth, tnuot (youth movements), small communities, and building bridges among institutions and regions across the country.
Over the past three years, her presence was felt in initiatives from north to south of Brazil. More than developing projects, Estela helped bring people, organizations, and communities closer together, expanding the Jewish Agency’s collaborative network and reinforcing an essential sentiment: that despite distances, the Jewish people remain connected through their history, values, and shared future.
The tribute evening reflected precisely this network. Representatives from CONIB, FISESP, the Consulate of Israel, the Holocaust Memorial, Hebraica, the Council of Tnuot, and KKL, along with schools, institutions, and youth from the tnuot, took part in the gathering. Speeches, videos, gifts, and personal stories expressed gratitude and recalled moments that marked Estela’s time in Brazil.
Yet every farewell also carries a promise.
The arrival of Merav Kalik Lerner opens a new chapter in the Jewish Agency’s presence in Brazil—preserving achievements while creating space for new projects, new connections, and new dreams. The transition also coincides with the start of a new cycle of shinshiniot, young Israelis who, between finishing high school and beginning military service, dedicate a period of their lives to volunteering in Jewish communities, schools, and institutions across Brazil.
These young emissaries bring much more than educational activities: they bring Israel closer. And at the same time, they take back with them experiences, friendships, and the richness of a diverse and vibrant diaspora.
Thus, the change in the Jewish Agency’s representation takes on a deeper meaning. It is not merely the passing of responsibility from one person to another, but the continuation of a mission. Estela leaves behind a story of dedication and bonds built; Merav arrives to write the next pages.
Because in a community built on memory, education, and continuity, new cycles do not mean starting from scratch. They mean moving forward, carrying with them everything that has already been planted.
