Outgoing Mazkir Jack Isaacs pens his thoughts on the past year in FZY and incoming Mazkira, Lucy Ross lays out her plans and motivation for the year to come.
OUTGOING- Jack Isaacs
How can I sum up the most fulfilling year of my life into just a few paragraphs? I’m going to try and give it a go. Everyone who has known me knows that this movement has meant the world to me. Over the last year, and even longer, I have given everything I’ve got to make sure that FZY doesn’t stop moving. I am proud to say that that has been achieved. We are in a special position and one that only comes with greater opportunity. My proudest achievement is FZY Israel Tour. Tour returned in summer 2022 after a 3-year absence, this year we knew there’d be a huge price increase and wondered what the future of the flagship programme for all of Britain’s Jewish youth is. Lo and behold we had unprecedented interest in Tour and sold out 12 groups just a few days after launch. I then asked the question “can we get a 13th Tour?”. I can say the rest is history!
This job is a job like no other. Perhaps a strange comment from someone in their first full-time role. I think an apt way to put it is a spin on the words of Dani Rojas from the hit TV show Ted Lasso and to say “FZY is life”. Sticking to theme of Ted Lasso, the word “Believe” is so so important. Without believing, it is so hard to achieve what is possible. Reading this and seeing me quote a fictional football manager, you’re probably thinking that’s classic Jack Isaacs (or Jisaacs), and you’d be right! My football team for the last year has been FZY, there’s been great cup runs, finals won, injuries, recoveries, tactical masterclasses (if I do say so myself) and memories to last a lifetime. The 2022/23 season has come to a close, the next season will have a new manager in Lucy.
10 years of my life has had FZY as a huge part in it. That chapter ends, another one begins. 10 years means a testimonial right?! Look, it’s been amazing. There isn’t an adjective in the dictionary that can describe the feeling you have once being Mazkir is over. Answering it in two questions may help. Have people gotten a greater connection to Israel in FZY over the last year? YES. Have the Jewish identities of many people been enriched over the last year? YES. There’s probably plenty more factors to assess but those two things are just so important to me. To help continue this trend of positively impacting the Jewish identity of those in the movement, I have also created a new Shabbat guide, “Shabbat – The FZY Edition”, that I’m leaving behind, detailing every single element of an FZY Shabbat, for the movement to keep making Shabbat so special.
I would like to end with a ‘thank you’. Thank you to the FZY Team, Gal-osher, Maddie, Ofri, Yuval, Joel, Ruth and Claire. Thank you to our community partners and partners across the world in Israel, the USA and Ghana. Thank you to my family for supporting me. And a huge THANK YOU to you, our members for entrusting me with the responsibility of being the ideological figurehead of your movement.
Keep in touch! I’ll miss you, JI
INCOMING- Lucy Ross
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been asked on numerous occasions “how do you feel coming into the role of Mazkira” or “do you really want to be Mazkira.”
There is no other position I would rather undertake right now in my life. You may think I’m crazy or sad, but I believe in the movement that is FZY. It has made me who I am today and is the reason I have met so many amazing people including all of you. To be running an organisation that can have such a positive effect on a young person’s life is something I am extremely proud to be a part of.
Although the past few weeks were not the easiest in my FZY journey, I am committed to learning from the summer and looking positively towards the future. I truly believe we are the movement that never stops moving and I assure you- we will keep moving.
I have been reflecting on what this year means to me as the next Mazkira of FZY and where I want to see the movement go.
When I started my movement journey in 2016 I wasn’t interested in Zionism or Judaism, I simply wanted to have fun on Kesher summer camp and meet new people. Fast forward 7 years, not only am I beyond proud of my Jewish Identity, doing all I can for the community in the UK. I am a proud Zionist believing in the state of Israel and feeling extremely connected to it. From being unengaged, sitting in FZY discussions silently, to hosting these sessions and always having something to say shows my personal development which FZY has massively aided.
I have led a variety of programmes during my time with FZY, however leading Israel Tour was what inspired me to take up this role. During this experience I watched the power of FZY, in enabling and empowering chanichim to have their own Jewish and Zionist identity whilst voicing their unique thoughts with others. As a Jewish community providing this space and chance to grow is why I am proud of FZY. For this reason, in everything I do this year, I want our ideology to sit at the forefront; Judaism, Pluralism and Zionism.
I encourage the members over the next year, to take ownership over FZY because this is YOUR movement. FZY is the movement that never stops moving because of all of you, without the members FZY would not achieve the same goals. It really is YOUR movement and as Mazkira I want to provide the space for you to achieve what you want. FZY is more than a summer camp or an Israel Tour its each and every one of you driving the movement to incredible places.
I cannot wait for this year and to see what the movement and all of you can do. Let’s keep moving - LR
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