Dear Partnership2Gether Family,
The current edition of Partnerships Up2Date has a special summer activity flavor and takes us to the Palm Beach – Tzahar (Tzfat-Hatzor-Rosh Pina) Partnership.
We meet this Partnership after two years of introspection which included a vigorous strategic planning process and exploration of Jewish peoplehood. In the first year, the Partnership developed a new vision and the past year has been dedicated to translating the vision into reality with rich Jewish-identity centered living bridge programming. The Tzahar-Palm Beach Joint Steering Committee convened in July. Read the impressions of Partnership2Gether Palm Beach Co-Chair Tami Baldinger.
The Partnership’s agenda includes creative programming highlighted in the following list and we encourage you to delve into the programs for some P2G inspiration and shared learning:
- The Bridge to Education platform features School Twinning, the PJ Library kindergarten book sharing project, and the Meyer Academy 8th grade exchange with Tzahar. The Community Bar Mitzvah program offers an additional avenue for engaging youth.
- Youth Leadership exchanges include the Gesher Chai Palm Beach group, Israeli Young Ambassadors, and the Palm Beach Bonim Fellows. The Partnership’s Young Shaliach in Palm Beach plays an active role in developing the group, which recently took part in an Israel leadership experience. Graduates of the Youth Leadership program served as counselors at the Tzahar Youth Futures Summer Camp.
- Short and medium-term Jewish spiritual experiences: The Tzfat Kabala Center for incoming tourism attracts close to 30,000 visitors each year and also offers Kabbalah Studies through Skype, while Livnot U’Lehibanot provides a deep and significant experience for young North American Jews who come to the region for various periods.
- Incoming Delegations – Tzahar hosted more than 230 Palm Beach visitors during the past year, including a Rabbinic Delegation focused on building follow-up connections with their constituents. Many of the delegations enjoy the culinary innovation of the Partnership’s Ethnic Tourism project.
Other recent P2G Highlights include:
- P2G in the Press:
- Six years ago this Chicago youth donated his Bar Mitzva money to Kiryat Gat youth; now he’s teaching them English as Kefiada volunteer (Yedioth Aharonot, Hebrew)
- Last month, eight partnerships sent 60 university and post university camp counselors to Kefiada Summer Camps across Israel engaging with more than 500 Israeli youth. In addition to teaching English, these volunteers also have an unforgettable Israel Experience with Israeli peers – enjoying social events and home hospitality with their Israeli peers (Jerusalem Post); Montreal’s volunteers in Beer Sheva were featured in YnetNews (English) and in Beer Sheva’s Cable TV News (Hebrew).
- A Unique P2G Tikun Olam Experience: “Ahavat Chinam” Spotlight in Israel’s “Rosh 1” Teen Magazine: Beer Sheva-Bnei Shimon – Montreal Tikkun Olam Delegation to Ethiopia (Hebrew)
- Bringing Israeli energy to summer camps in overseas communities: P2G sends hundreds of Israeli campers and counselors to summer camps every year. At the top of our list is the Central Galilee-Michigan Partnership which sends 100 campers and junior counselors from the Central Galilee to Camp Tamarack. In addition, six Nahalal teens volunteered at Ann Arbor camp; Kiryat Malachi-Ashkelon Coast Camp Counselors at Seattle Summer Camp; Camp Counselors from MetroWest in Ofakim (Northern New Jersey Jewish News)
- Trilateral Connections:
One of the most exciting developments in P2G in recent years, has been a growing list of tri-lateral connections – a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding Jewish peoplehood program:
- Atlanta – Minsk – Yokneam-Megiddo “Global Birthright“.
- New York – Israel Connections: Mimizrach Shemesh – New York University – Budapest: Jewish Identity and Volunteering (Hebrew).
- Following a six-month training period in their respective communities, youth leaders from the Western Galilee, Midwest Consortium and Budapest met for a volunteer/study experience in Budapest and Israel.
- People-to-People Incoming Delegations:
- The Northern Galilee hosted visiting youth counselors, a school delegation, and a Partnership@Home Taglit group from the UK.
- Satell Teen leaders from Philadelphia with Netivot-Sedot Negev peers.
- Young Leaders from Cincinnati join Netanya peers in Tel Aviv (Hebrew).
- High School age leadership group from Central Galilee joins Detroit peers for their month-long Israel Experience (Hebrew).
- Forty-five Counselors in Training from Pittsburgh to Carmiel-Misgav.
- Interview with Cleveland volunteer in Beit Shean.
- Sovev Kinneret hosted five community and family delegations from Milwaukee, St. Paul and Tulsa.
- “Beit Mexico”, Kibbutz Gvulot, Eshkol Region, hosts 400 Mexico teens (Hebrew).
- People-to-People Outgoing Delegations:
- For the 15th year in a row, a youth delegation from the Arava is enjoying home hospitality in Australia. Two pre-school educators from the Arava are sharing best practices with peers in Australia.(Hebrew)
- New York – Israel Connections: Thirty Ramat Hasharon and NY Youth share a month-long Israel/US experience on Havaya program (Hebrew).
- Israeli Teens from Hadera-Eiron visit friends in Nashville.
- Milwaukee is hosting a teen delegation from Sovev Kinneret.
- Community Development and Living Bridges:
- JFS Stamford adopts Afula-Gilboa model for in-home therapeutic care for seniors with cognitive impairment.
- Beit Shemesh – Mateh Yehuda is selling an ethnic recipes cookbook to support its Women’s Empowerment Program. Get a taste of it by trying out the free recipe for Chicken in Wine with Shallots and Baby Potatoes.
- Living Bridge sculpture, crafted jointly by Northern New Jersey and Nahariya artists, on display at Nahariya Art Museum (Hebrew).
Wishing you a great summer and please continue to share with us!
Chodesh Tov,
Andrea
