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Miri’s Story – Youth at Risk
Miri Ben Shitrit, born in Armenia, made Aliyah with her family at age six, supported by UIA and The Jewish Agency.
After returning alone to Israel at 19, she became a decorated IDF soldier and later a mentor with Youth Futures.
As a mentor, Miri supported children through war and trauma—most notably creating “The Smile Project” with a young girl named Tamari.
Miri was honoured as a Star of David at the 2025 UIA Gala, embodying the impact of key national UIA-supported initiatives: Aliyah, Lone Soldiers, and Youth Futures.
Born in Armenia and raised as a Christian, Miri Ben Shitrit’s life changed forever when her great-grandmother revealed the family’s hidden Jewish identity. At just six years old, Miri made Aliyah with 20 relatives, thanks to the support of The Jewish Agency and UIA. “We didn’t know who we were—but once we did, we knew exactly where we belonged.”
Though the journey was complex—without an Israeli consulate in Armenia, they travelled through Moscow and Georgia for paperwork—until they arrived home- in Israel. With no Hebrew and no familiarity with Jewish culture, her early days in Kiryat Motzkin were challenging. But Miri would come to embody the very programs that were created to help people like her succeed —Aliyah and Absorption, Youth Futures, and support for Lone Soldiers.
At 19, after a stint in Canada, Miri returned to Israel alone to follow her purpose and enlisted in the IDF. With no screening, she was placed in a clerical role—a posting that didn’t reflect her ambition. But she leaned in. She worked hard, showed up, and slowly earned trust.
It was her commander, Yogev, who changed her trajectory. “All a person needs is one adult to believe in them,” she told the audience at the 2025 UIA Gala. And Yogev did. By the end of her service, she was head of operations for the 162nd Division and awarded a certificate of excellence.
This experience—of someone seeing her potential before she could—became the cornerstone of her life’s mission – to see the potential in others.
Now living in Nahariya near Israel’s northern border, Miri is a proud mother of two, a university graduate, and a mentor in the UIA-supported National program for at risk youth – Youth Futures. Since the war began, she’s been displaced for 15 months but chose to move closer to her mentees—despite the risks.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of my kids staying in the line of fire while I watched from afar. This wasn’t just a job—it was a calling.”
As a mentor, she works with 21 at-risk children—many displaced and traumatised. Helping these children fills Miri’s life with purpose: “every time I look into the eyes of the 21 children I accompany, I see a part of myself.”
Among them is Tamari, a 10-year-old girl whose childhood has been marred by sirens, divorce, and displacement. “Miri, I lost my smile. I’m not happy,” she confessed to her mentor through tears.
Together, they began “The Smile Project.” Reading The Cat Who Lost Its Smile, they rewrote the ending—one Tamari chose for herself. She reconnected with her mother. She moved back home. She even baked cookies for the soldiers she once feared.
Today, Tamari smiles. “Sometimes,” Miri says, “all a child needs is one adult to see them, hear them, and believe in them.”
At the 2025 UIA Galas held in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in February, Miri was honoured as one of this year’s Stars of David. Her story touched every heart in the room, reminding us of why we support UIA’s national initiatives: Aliyah and Absorption, Lone Soldiers, and the transformative work of Youth Futures.
Through her journey, UIA supporters can see what’s possible when belief meets action—when a child becomes a leader, and a life shaped by hardship becomes a source of hope for the next generation.
Learn more about Youth Futures and how UIA is providing tailored interventions for at-risk youth in Israel.
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