Friends of Israel Scouts announced this week that the Tzofim Friendship Caravan will return to the US after a three-year hiatus, while celebrating the Tzofim Friendship Caravan’s 50th anniversary of "excitement, energy and friendship to North America," a press release on behalf of the Israeli Scouts movement said.
A source in the movement said that "the pent-up demand for this unique performance is incredible."
The Friendship Caravan, supported by Jewish National Fund-USA, consists of a traveling group of ten Tzofim members who crisscross North America each summer as emissaries, sharing their lives in Israel through song, dance and story.
Their show from Israel, “The Friendship Caravan,” is a mix of Israeli song, dance, stories and images designed to bring Israeli culture to American audiences. During half a century, some of Israel's greatest pop singers and celebrities have performed in the US with the Friendship Caravan such as pop singer Aya Korem and actress Rotem Abuhav. Many media personalities performed during their youth with the caravan such as Israeli tv presenter Omer Yardeni and Channel 12 correspondent to the US Yuna Leibzon.
With an emphasis on creating new ways to learn about Israeli culture, the 45-minute show is a fun, engaging experience to educate people about Israel.
All aboard the Jewish Friendship Caravan
The Friends of Israel Scouts choose members of the Caravan based on their maturity, fluency in English and of course, their talent in performing arts. After several rounds of competitive auditions and interviews, the scouts spend a year training and rehearsing for their exciting summer in North America. The show features songs in Hebrew, English and Yiddish, with the Tzofim Scouts performing dressed in their official uniforms, Middle Eastern garb, festive blue-and-white outfits and attire characteristic of shtetl life.
“The first Caravan arrived in the US in 1973 with a goal of bringing a message of hope and peace for Israel,” Eran Tzivon, the new director of the Tzofim Friendship Caravan, said. “The Caravan is a unique way to have the American community experience a taste of Israel. We offer up to three shows in two locations in one day. There are plenty of ways to have interactive shows, whether it be at a school, a camp, a synagogue or anywhere else. And the best part is that no two shows are the same.”
Tzivon added that registration for the Caravan begins on November 1.