Shahar Peled is Crane Lake’s year-round shaliach, working in partnership with Temple Israel in New York City.  This post is excerpted from an article originally published in the Chronicle, Temple Israel’s monthly bulletin.

Shahar Peled was born and raised in Maccabim, Israel. He served three years as a combat soldier in the Israeli paratroopers brigade. Before his army service Shahar was a semi professional basketball player and quit in order to join the IDF. Prior to working at Temple Israel, he was a unit head at the URJ Crane Lake Camp, worked for Maccabi World Union, two Maccabiah Games and the 2011 JCC Maccabi Games. He volunteered in the Europeans for Peace organization and led a special project between Birthright Israel and the Paratroopers Brigade. Shahar is passionate about representing Israel and believes in the strong bond between the Jewish communities all over the world and the country of Israel. In his free time he loves to play basketball, go to the beach and spend time with friends.

What is your favorite way of spending time? Hanging out with friends, playing various sports and watching movies.

Who is your favorite Jewish hero or heroine? Yitzhak Rabin. His vision was shown in all of his actions. He lived by it and always kept his promises.

When and where were you the happiest? Being in Crane Lake Camp, it’s a place you can be anyone you want to be.

What is your greatest fear? Failing or losing someone close to me.

What is needed the most in the world? Peace & humanity.

What do you value most in your friends? The way they push me to be the best I can be. They’re always there to support me no matter what. Best friends are tested in one’s worst times.

What is your motto or words to live by? In Hebrew we have an expression: Push yourself to be the best but lower your expectations of success. This way the failure is not as bad and the success is greater. What natural gift would you like to The ability to improvise and to be the best at it.

If you could change something about yourself what would it be? I wish that sometimes I was less serious and more decisive.

What would you say is the biggest misconception Americans have of Israel and Israelis? The Israel Defense Force (IDF) humanitarian laws. I think the reason for the misconception is the media when they show and emphasize many ‘inhumane’ actions by Israeli soldiers when in fact the reverse is true. The IDF is the most humane army in the world. I know this from personal experience of different missions where we placed risk on our lives in order to decrease the risk for enemy civilians. We shield our Israeli civilians whereas they use their civilians as shields.

You’ve spent the last two summers working at Crane Lake Camp. What in your opinion is the importance of Jewish Summer Camp? Jewish Summer camp brings the concept of community with internal Jewish values. Jewish Summer camps are the best combination of the safe environment of Judaism and learning with the freedom of the opportunity to be anyone what you want to be. At camp you can come out of your shell, get to make new friends, find new hobbies and develop new skills, all within a community of now-aday values of healthcare, physical activities, face-to-face relationships that takes the media generation away from media. Jewish camps are based on Jewish values which the campers internalize and can take with them for the rest of their lives. They learn leadership, friendship, patience, love, shalom and even get to do Tikkun Olam (social action) projects.

Why did you become a Shaliach and what do you hope to achieve? Ever since I can remember I always connected with Zionism and Judaism all over the world. I always cared about the way Israel is seen through different peoples’ eyes. For the past seven years I’ve worked for Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Agency, Maccabi World Union, JCC, Maccabi Games and the URJ Crane Lake Camp. The most natural next step is to continue my journey, fulfill my present goal and represent my country in a full-time job. The last three years as a soldier and a Shaliach in a summer camp lit a fire of Shlichut in me… a fire that burns passionately at this moment.