“There is nothing more exciting than knowing that we will celebrate this Shavuot holiday as citizens of the holy land, the State of Israel, and fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah,” Chad-Shalom McJenkin says. Chad-Shalom and Jennifer-Nehama McJenkin with their children (baby Yosef not in picture)
Israel Seen Shavuot – Mormons, Amish and Jews
“There is nothing more exciting than knowing that we will celebrate this Shavuot holiday as citizens of the holy land, the State of Israel, and fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah,” Chad-Shalom McJenkin says.
Yori Yalon/Israel HaYom
The McJenkin family has a special connection to the Jewish holiday Shavuot. On the eve of the holiday last year, they became part of the Jewish people, and on Wednesday, days before this year’s holiday, they immigrated to Israel with their 11 children.
Meet the family: father Chad-Shalom, 38, mother Jennifer-Nehama, 35, and children Ashley, 17, Madison, 16, Clara, 15, Chad Jr., 13, Madeline, 12, Ryan, 10, Ethan, 8, Journey, 6, Nathan, 3, Nava, 2, and baby Yosef who is less than a year old.
The family lived a devout Christian life in the southern United States as part of the Church of Latter-day Saints and had also been part of an Amish community for two years before making a dramatic change in their lives.
After developing a connection to Judaism over the past few years, Chad and Jennifer reached the conclusion that they wanted to convert. On the eve of Shavuot last year, the family completed their conversion process. And as part of the conversion process, it was important for Chad and Jennifer to get married once again, but this time in an Orthodox Jewish wedding.
Yet, for the McJenkin family, that was not enough, and so this year they decided to fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah [immigration to Israel], on the eve of Shavuot.
“On Shavuot last year, we became part of the Jewish faith and tradition,” Chad-Shalom said. “There is nothing more exciting than knowing that we will celebrate this Shavuot holiday as citizens of the holy land, the State of Israel, and fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah.”
The family plans on moving to Yavne’el, a community close to the Sea of Galilee.
The McJenkin family flew to Israel along with dozens of other new immigrants on a flight organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, in conjunction with the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, the Jewish National Fund and Jewish Agency.
“There is strong symbolism in the arrival of the new olim [immigrants] on the eve of Shavuot,” Nefesh B’Nefesh founder Rabbi Yehoshua Fass said. “Among the olim, there is a dear family like the McJenkin family, who chose not only to become part of Judaism, but chose to make Israel the place to build their home.”
