When I started I had three goals.  The first one was to build a list of all the Israelis that are here. Five years ago I started with a list of 650 names; now I have 1100 real people on my list.  Probably 75% of the people are from here.

The second goal was to make at least five or six events in a year to connect the Israelis here to the holidays in Israel.

My third goal was to make Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) meaningful to all Israelis and to connect to this day the Jewish community.

Q: Did you reach your goals?

I think so.

Q: You mentioned the Yom Hazikaron ceremony as one of your initial goals for the Israeli House. Why was it so important to you to change the ceremony?

The first year I came here I was only watching and participating in the ceremony. When it ended I felt it wasn’t meaningful for me. Then there was an opportunity for me to take over organizing the ceremony.  I decided to change it and make it more meaningful for everyone. We started connecting a lot of organizations to this event like the Jewish day schools and the synagogues. There was little or no connection to the schools and synagogues before this.

Q. You are well known here at the Consulate for your love of the outdoors and cycling. During your tenure you took a personal passion and made it into a part of the Israeli House by forming a cycling club. Tell me about that.

When I came there were only three or four riders. We started a group that was rising and rising and rising. One year we had thirty people that went to Moab. It was an amazing trip. I think this started a tradition of this group getting together a doing something each year with bicycles. I am sure it will continue.

Q.  Today is your last day at the Consulate. Sunday, you return home to Israel. What’s next for Sami Kabalo?

I’m going back to teach Israeli Studies in High School. And, I will start to finish my second degree. I have three more courses to take. Who knows? Maybe in two years I’ll be back in a different U.S. city…. Maybe….