(Courtesy of the ACHI Team) ACHI (American Communities Helping Israel), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to keeping Israel in the hearts and minds of our current and next generation, is proud to share its latest accomplishments with you and your family.

The ACHI Market ( www.achi613.org ), the latest ACHI initiative, is a bustling virtual market on ACHI’s website of 100 diverse stores, located in Israel. The online market features an array of vendors selling art, Judaica, gifts, children’s items, apparel and gourmet food. These merchants ship globally and deliver within Israel, too. The ACHI Market is a resource for “made in Israel goods,” and it is now just a click away.

As you can imagine, the ACHI team of volunteers is very excited about this latest accomplishment. To better promote the Market’s vendors, ACHI is turning to the younger generation to be ambassadors.

What is an ambassador?

An ambassador is a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.

ACHI recently introduced ACHI Ambassadors to its organization.

The ACHI Ambassadors, a group of teen volunteers, all have much in common:

1. They are committed to ACHI and want to help promote ACHI’s mantra: “Think Israel—Buy Israeli.”

2. They are young and spirited and share a love for Israel.

3. They think creatively and are influencers using social media to reach their peers.

With the enthusiasm of the ACHI Ambassadors, ACHI looks forward to reaching an important segment of our population—the youth. They are the ones who shop online and utilize social media. We hope they will spread the word through their Facebook, Instagram and other social media to encourage visitors and shoppers to check www.achi613.org for their gift-giving needs and much more.

The ACHI Team believes “A committed youth becomes a committed adult.”

The founder of ACHI, Suzanne Weilgus, said: “Our future is dependent on our youth. They have a unique way of impacting our next generation in support of Israel.”

At a recent ACHI Zoom meeting with the ACHI Ambassadors, these teens collaborated and suggested swag to ACHI that will soon be distributed to them and their contemporaries to promote ACHI. That is just one example of their innovative thinking.

Said ACHI Ambassador Eden Gershman, age 16 and completing 11th grade at the Berman Hebrew Academy Rockville, Maryland:

“I decided to join ACHI as a teen ambassador because I want to see the country of Israel thrive. I have a very strong connection with Israel and find that I feel closer to it when I am participating and helping with ACHI. The theme of my bat mitzvah was ‘Think Israel—Buy Israeli.’ The centerpieces were KLEEs filled with Israeli nosh. In my dvar Torah, I spoke about ACHI.”

A KLEE is a dish or bowl creatively designed by students that becomes the vessel that is displayed in homes, dorms or offices and is filled and refilled with edible products made in Israel. ACHI hopes all its ambassadors will introduce KLEE Day in the schools and camps they attend.

Suzanne Weilgus’ great-niece, 10-year-old Juliette Kamari, completing fourth grade at the Ramaz School in New York, created her own Junior ACHI Ambassador position. When asked why she created her own Instagram account at shop_israel_achi, to promote the ACHI Market, she answered:

“ACHI is an inspiring organization. I want to be part of this meaningful organization. I am so proud of my aunt, who is the founder. It is a wonderful idea and I am so proud to be part of ACHI. There are a lot of people to reach, who can purchase both Jewish and non-Jewish items, and they need to know how important it is to help the businesses in Israel. They need to see the amazing and marvelous designs both modern and traditional, featured on the ACHI Market.

“Many people started following my Instagram account from the first day, April 14,” Kamari continued. “Each week I highlight one business—going in alphabetical order as they are all really interesting. They sell all kinds of products from jewelry to makeup to art and ceramics and much more. My goal is to make the ACHI market very famous so that many people shop there and Israeli businesses will stop suffering.”

Miri Hochberg, an ACHI Ambassador entering 10th grade at Ma’ayanot in Teaneck, shared the following:

“As a person who comes from a family who cares deeply about Israel, ACHI represents an easy way to support Israeli businesses and vendors even though we don’t live there. As an ACHI Ambassador, I can share with my friends how simple it can be to lend Israel a helping hand.”

ACHI looks forward to welcoming more ambassadors representing schools and communities across America capable of sharing more innovative ideas for ACHI and acting as influencers among their peers. It is important to note that ACHI Ambassadors can receive community-service recognition from their schools. With the help of the ACHI Ambassadors, the ACHI analytics will prove “a job well done.” The number of visitors and consumers at The ACHI Market will increase. In addition, there will be more KLEEs displayed in homes, and Israel will continue to benefit and prosper.

If you are interested in becoming an ACHI Ambassador email ACHI at [email protected].