By Noah Ohayon
For 12-year-old Micah Raphael, his passion for the outdoors has become a powerful way to give back to Israel.
Raphael, a sixth-grade student at Akiba Yavneh Academy and the son of Michelle and Ori Raphael, is participating in the Jr. Ranger competition. The contest gives outdoors-loving children ages 4–12 the opportunity to earn $20,000, have an exclusive wildlife experience with Emmy-winning TV host and wildlife expert Jeff Corwin and appear in Ranger Rick magazine. If he wins the competition, Raphael has pledged to donate part of the proceeds to Israel.
An avid outdoorsman, Raphael loves everything from surfing, skiing and skateboarding to interacting with different animals. He plans to spend this summer in Israel at a surf camp in Netanya, just like he did a couple of years ago. Next on his to-do list: getting his scuba diving certification.
“I’m just a guy who loves being outside, and anytime I can surf or do any kind of extreme sport in nature, that’s what I want to do,” Raphael said. “I also want to represent myself as a Jewish boy and help Israel.”
When his mom first heard of the competition, she knew her son would be a good fit.
“When I saw an ad on Instagram, I thought this would be perfect for him,” she said. “I thought Micah could be an amazing representative, someone who could be a leader and really bring something cool to this opportunity.”
Raphael’s connection to Israel runs deep, with family on both his mother’s and father’s sides living there. Taking frequent visits to Israel since he was a baby, Raphael feels a special connection to the land.
“I just love it there,” he said. “The wildlife, the nature and the people are just amazing. I’ve been hearing a lot about what’s going on in Israel from school, the news and my parents, and it makes me really sad. I just want to help out in any way I can.”
Raphael and his mother are considering several places in Israel where they hope to donate a portion of his potential earnings. One meaningful connection is to a remote northern community near the Lebanon border, where a family friend lives. The community was evacuated after Oct. 7 and later became a base for the army, supporting soldiers and emergency response efforts.
The first round of public voting, which will determine the top 20 contestants, began March 30 and continues through April 9. To vote for Raphael and learn more about his journey, visit @jrrangermicah on Instagram.
