Crowned Miss Israel in 2021, Noa Cochva, will join Rabbi Joshua Skoff in a conversation titled “Representing Israel Around the World: Embracing Friends & Confronting Antisemitism,” as the congregation’s annual Shavuot Study Session from 7:15 to 9 p.m. May 21 at Park Synagogue at 27500 Shaker Blvd. in Pepper Pike.
“Park Synagogue loves their Shavuot program,” Skoff told the Cleveland Jewish News. “We do a big Shavuot program every year, and it’s a lovely community-wide event.”
According to Skoff, the synagogue’s annual Shavuot study session is one of their largest educational programs of the year. This time around, Skoff said they opted to do a different take on the program, learning from a guest who will share her lessons from her life experience.
“We wanted to learn from someone who is going to teach us from her own life experience about what it’s like not only growing up in the state of Israel, but now representing Israel during the last few years as one of their ambassadors,” Skoff said.
Through her role as Miss Israel in the Miss Universe 2021 pageant, Cochva is an advocate for the state of Israel and has since become a sought-after keynote speaker. She grew up in Bnei Atarot, a moshav outside of Tel Aviv, as the daughter of an Israeli air force squadron commander and the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors.
“She’s a representative of Israel all around the world,” Skoff said. “She’s had some dramatically painful experiences, and she’s had some wonderful experiences during this period since the massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, with examples of both antisemitism and world altruism. We’ve seen both, and she’s experienced both.”
After graduating high school, Cochva enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces and served two years as a combat medic, eventually becoming the commander of her unit. She was among roughly 400,000 IDF reservists who served on the Gaza border following the surprise terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
“As any good Israeli does, they serve in the IDF and defend their country,” Skoff said. “So we’ll take a multi-layered look at someone who has a special designation in the land of Israel, but also lived life as an Israeli in wanting to defend their country.”
Following the service, Cochva enrolled at Estella, Israel’s elite pastry school, where she learned to make exquisite pastries, breads, chocolates and confections.
According to Skoff, the program will be held in a question and answer format, with Skoff conducting the interview. Cochva will be available to speak to attendees following the formal program.
Registration is required and can be made at parksynagogue.org.