Young Minnetonka swimmer raises $5K for Israel nonprofit

MINNETONKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Serenity with every stroke, in many ways Micah Lazarus has perspective well beyond his 13 years.

"I wanted to go above and beyond and just really show who I am and show my love, show my love for swimming and show my love for Israel," says Micah. "And like, just show that I’m proud to be a Jewish person."

Ahead of his Bar Mitzvah earlier this year, the young swimmer from Minnetonka turned much of his energy toward helping those in Israel, and the ripple effects of the Oct. 7 attacks.

"I know people in Israel and and I felt bad for them. I know someone who died on Oct. 7," says Micah. "It was really hard to be around and to see that on the news and to just have to live through that and still do."

With the help of his parents and younger brother, the Lazarus family organized a swimathon, and raised $5,000 dollars. Every cent went to a non-profit called HaGal Sheli, which means "My Wave" in Hebrew.  

The group of mostly volunteer instructors prides itself on being apolitical and a-religious. And has been helping young people at risk from all different backgrounds learn to surf the Mediterranean Sea since 2013.

"It’s like a summer camp bunk, but year-round," says Ephy Shapiro, with HaGal Sheli, speaking to FOX 9 via Zoom from Israel.

Shapiro grew up in Wisconsin, and now lives in Israel.  He says since the war started last year, the number of people HaGal Sheli is helping guide through waves, and daily life, has skyrocketed from about 3,000 to more than 5,000, many from both sides of the war, coping with post-traumatic stress.

"At the beginning, they are like, oh I didn’t sign up to be with this secular Jewish kid, I’m an orthodox Jew, or I didn’t sign up to be with the Arab Christian or Muslim," says Shapiro. "But slowly started working on non-violent communication, group dynamics how to look beyond the superficial ‘I’m wearing a hijab or kippah’ and work as a team."

Much more than surf instructors, HaGal Sheli has been recognized at the White House and by the President of Israel for their trauma response and therapy, and bringing people on both sides of the war together.   

Micah found this nonprofit through Alene Sussman, Executive Director of the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation in St Louis Park, who is consistently busy advising and researching on behalf of philanthropists like Lazarus, and of all ages.

"They don’t know how to vet organizations. They don’t’ know if this organization is legit, are they going to run a fowl of federal law, meaning you can’t send money overseas to organizations because there is a concern about funding terrorism or money laundering, and all these federal laws and IRS tax laws around that," says Sussman.  "So our job as a foundation is to really vet those for people, so they can really enjoy their philanthropy and really feel the good parts about it vs doing all the work."

"In the near future, there are many ways that Micah will contribute to giving back to his community and our whole family will do so," says Tammi Lazurus, Micah’s mom.

Micah’s parents were reminded again this week why peace and paying attention is so important. In fact, just a few hours after our Zoom call with Shapiro, we learned he had to retreat to a shelter, while 180 missiles fired overhead.

"It's never ending, and it's hasn't stopped. It's October 7th over and over again for ourselves and our children and our community as they see it on the media, as they hear about the hostages," says Elliot Lazurus, Micah’s dad. "It's not helping what's happening in Israel right now with the separation between the different groups of people who believe what the actual solution will look like."

So it makes sense, why teens on opposite sides of the world are finding a bit of escape from these worries in the water, and why Micah hopes the tides in the Middle East will change as soon as possible.

"I want everyone to have an equal chance, regardless of who they are," says Micah.