A group of ten high school graduates postpone their mandatory Army Service so that they can help develop Arad’s young communities. As the year draws to an end, the group reflects on an experience of a lifetime.  

The city of Arad has its share of social programs, targeting young and elderly populations alike, as well as many special communities. But every once in a while comes a social program that is inspiring not only in the goals that it sets out to achieve, but mainly because of the people who are doing the work.

Arad’s “Tsameret Shnat Sherut” program brings together an inspiring mix of male and female high school graduates from secular and orthodox communities throughout Israel, who postpone their mandatory army service for one year in order to volunteer within Arad’s youth communities and far from home. The volunteers, who are between 19 and 20 years old, relocate to Arad for the duration of one year and contribute to the city by working with children, mainly by developing unique curriculums within local schools, creating enriching afterschool activities and serving as “older siblings” on an individual basis throughout the year.

The main mission of Tsameret is to facilitate cooperation between secular and orthodox youngsters, based on values of Zionism, leadership, friendship and social awareness, with hop of inspiring other Israelis and making Israel a better place. “Tsameret” literally means “high level”, a name that hints at the program’s ambitious goals, while “Shnat Sherut” stands for “a year of service”.

The “Tsameret Shnat Sherut” program first began operating in Safed in 2007 and has been a part of Arad for the last three years. In Arad Tsameret is funded, like many other of the city’s social initiatives, by the New Jersey/Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership2Gether, the Jewish Agency framework that has been connecting between Jewish American communities from New Jersey and Delaware with the city of Arad and Tamar Regional Council in Israel for over 15 years.

To fully understand just how unique “Tsameret” really is, one must understand just how rare it is for a high school graduate in Israel to postpone his or her Army service. Postponement means serving Israeli society for an additional year, on top of the three mandatory years of military service (for men) and two years (for women). Yet to this eclectic group of young idealists, the decision was a natural one.

“I was looking to experience a meaningful year,” reflects Chen Whalberg from Efrat, “a year that offers a challenge and an alternative”.

“In the community in which I live, a year of social service is rare to the point of being considered inappropriate,” adds Lia Tzvilik from Rishon Letzion, “I felt like I could make a difference by helping children in school. I am very Zionist and education is the basis of this country”.

The ten volunteers, or “Shinshinim”, as they are referred to, have been residing together since August in two apartments, one for males and the other for females, located within the confines of one of Arad’s oldest neighborhoods. In the mornings, the group can be found in Arad’s local high schools, where they offer their assistance to children who need help with schoolwork or just need someone to talk to and receive advice from.   

In the evenings, the Shinshinim set out to fulfill their ultimate goal: creating a foundation for organized youth activity in Arad. The young volunteers take to the city’s numerous youth centers, some of which they had helped establish, organizing activities and helping the city’s youth run the centers by themselves. Several of the “Shinshinim” also volunteer at Arad’s Absorption Center for “olim” from Ethiopia and publish a monthly youth newspaper, titled “Whirlwind”.

“These days, I am busy helping the 10^th graders under my care prepare for their end-of-year matriculation exams”, explains Asaf Shainu from Psagot, “In the evenings I can be found at ‘Sharon’s Youth Club’, where I am in charge of food, donations and the evenings’ themes and content”.

“We are currently preparing to recruit 5^th and 6^th graders into Arad’s youth center network”, says Sivan Barkan of Ashdod, “Children of that age were never a part of Arad’s youth movement before. It feels like this is exactly what we were meant to be doing, and I hope that this initiative will grow and become a part of Arad”.

While most of Arad’s youth are classified as normative, the city also has its share of children at risk. Yishai Perziger, originally from Givatayim, wanders the streets almost every evening in search of children who have made the streets their second home: “We meet youth who wander the streets. We make contact with them and introduce them to a framework that does them a world of good”.  

The program’s connection to the New Jersey/Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership2Gether allows the local Partnership office to offer a hand with the little things, like printing the monthly newspaper and remaining in close contact with the group. The volunteers, on the other hand, have been doing their part in strengthening the bond between Israel and the United States by becoming involved in some of the other social programs funded by P2G. For example, every summer they meet and host the American Kefiada Instructors who arrive to voluntarily serve as instructors within a 3-week English camp for Arad’s children, introducing them to the city’s unique attributes as well as the local population. The “Shinshinim” also help train the Israeli pupils that take part in “Gesher”, a program that focuses on bringing youth from Arad and New Jersey closer together by developing their collective Jewish identities, cultivating their leadership skills and creating opportunities for them to meet, engage in dialogue and establish mutual thinking sessions. They even find time to meet with Birthright groups that visit Arad, showing them around town.

“It is important for them to do good in every way that they can,” reflects Ruthie Dan-Gurie, Partnership2Gether’s Living Bridge Coordinator, “by welcoming the volunteers that are coming here from New Jersey and Delaware, they are helping them feel at home and strengthening the bond between Arad and its partners abroad. It has been working so well, that we are currently planning a similar program involving young American adults from the Arad/Tamar P2G’s partner communities in New Jersey and Delaware, who will utilize their gap year to volunteer alongside the Israeli ‘Shinshinim’ in Arad”.

Looking back at almost a year’s work, the young volunteers have come to view Arad as their home. They have also matured and developed, much like the children they have been helping throughout the year.

“We arrived in a city we knew nothing about,” reveals Yishai Perziger, “and now we belong in Arad and Arad is a part of us. We basically know almost everyone here”.

“The experience has made me believe that anyone can do anything,” says Lia Tzvilik,”It is only a matter of opportunity. Give a child a chance, and he will succeed”.

“This year introduced me to life’s complexities and I met people who live under different conditions than those in which I was raised,” adds Sivan Barkan, “It made me realize that I will do something meaningful with my life”.

By Itay Ben-Eliezer

Since 1995, the Arad/Tamar-New Jersey/Delaware Partnership has implemented a broad range of programs to benefit the community and innumerable joint study programs among the youth and adults in Arad, the Tamar Region, New Jersey and Delaware.

Each year, Arad hosts dozens of volunteers from Jew Jersey and Delaware. They work as teachers and counselors, teaching English in the elementary schools; they help the elderly population in Beit Gil-Ad; and develop close ties with the residents of the city. In addition, students from New Jersey and Delaware come to Arad each year to volunteer in the Kefiyada and Counterpoint, two unique programs that bring together American counselors and local kids for three weeks of learning and fun.

In recent years, the Partnership office in Arad has been sending a young adult from Israel to the US to serve as an “emissary” to the Jewish communities in New Jersey and Delaware. The goal is bring the Israeli and American communities closer together and to strengthen the bonds to Judaism and Israel. Abir Meliankar, who is a native resident of Arad, took on the ambitious job of emissary in the summer of 2010.

Abir Meliankar was 25 years old when he arrived in New Jersey in September 2010. He had no idea how his job as emissary would change his thinking. While Abir concentrated on education and informing the local population about the reality in Israel, he soon found that he was learning as much as he was teaching.

While he was an emissary, Abir lived in an apartment in the city of Elizabeth, which is on the outskirts of Hillside and about 20 minutes drive from Scotch Plains, where the Partnership offices are located. Abir’s schedule quickly became very busy and included teaching in the JEC Center in Elizabeth almost every day, in addition to his meetings and workshops in no less than five Jewish schools. Abir worked primarily with children aged 12-18 and implemented informal education programs on topics ranging from the IDF and politics in Israel to Israeli cuisine and characteristics of the typical Israeli.

“I didn’t feel like an educator, until I starting teaching these children,” remembers Abir. “When I arrived to work with a group who already knew me, they would run towards me, laughing. I got a lot of love from them.”

While a large part of Abir’s work was focused on children and youth, he also worked as an educator in the Hillel House of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He helped organize activities and educate students about life in Israel. In addition, he participated in orientation meetings for the Birthrite program. Abir’s activities had an effect on people of all ages and walks of life. He recalls how he spoke with students at Rutgers who wanted information about Israel in order to be able to participate in the stormy debates on campus with confidence. He referred a woman who wanted to volunteer in Israel to Arad, where he grew up; she volunteered in Beit Gil-Ad and in the local kindergarten.

“The communities and families that I came in contact with during my stay in New Jersey came from a variety of backgrounds and cultures,” says Abir. “I am very accepting by nature and I think people felt that. They were comfortable around me and that was one of my goals as an emissary.”

While teaching individuals and families about life in Israel, Abir gradually felt a deepening bond with New Jersey and its communities. Abir got close to the people around him and he became increasingly curious about the way of life in the various Jewish communities in New Jersey, including the complexity of their everyday lives and the issues that are important to them.

Abir remembers the friends he made: “I had a lot of close friends in New Jersey. I met new friends at Rutgers and was very close with Amy Cooper and Jessica Melman from the Federation. I was also close friends with John Yulnet, who was involved with the Federation. He took me to baseball games and jazz concerts. We talked to one other as if we were old friends.”

“The Abramov family, for example, went beyond the call of duty for me,” says Abir. “They hosted me on Fridays and I always felt that I could get advice from them and could ask them anything. They are traditional while I am not. I learned a lot from them about Jewish culture.”

Abir has only good things to say about the state that hosted him: “I love New Jersey. I experienced a massive snowstorm while I was there. It was moving for a child of the desert from Arad. I enjoyed visiting places like Hoboken and New York. I really enjoyed the beach in New Jersey, which was only an hour drive from my house.”

“When I left New Jersey, I told my replacement that I am leaving behind my life for her,” Abir recalls with a smile. “All my friends, all the people and places and smells that I had come to love.”

The effect of his period as an emissary is still with him, even a year after returning from New Jersey. After returning to Arad, Abir moved to Hod Hasharon in the Center of the country, where he worked as a senior counselor in Alexander High School Seminar, where high schools students from the US, Canada, Australia and Britain come to study for between six weeks and a semester. Recently, Abir has taken on an even more challenging job and now works at Eshel Hanasi in the Negev, where the Seminar’s new campus is being built.

“New Jersey changed my outlook,” explains Abir. “I have chosen to continue working as an educator with youth from North America. I am now familiar with their background and the Jewish communities that they come from. I am thinking about studying something related to my work; maybe Jewish education or international relations.”

When asked whether there is something he would like to say to the communities that hosted him so warmly during his year of service in New Jersey, Abir answers without hesitating: “I would like to tell them thank you for everything I experienced. Even the most casual kind word from people made a big difference to me. It was an experience based on mutual relations and I would like to say thank you to all the people who were so nice to me. When I come back to visit, I will be returning to a place that is a second home for me.”

Americans volunteering in the Southern Israeli city of Arad, Far form friendships far from home and prove that community has no boundaries.

By Itay Ben-Eliezer

While a sense of community can be experienced within the limits of a neighborhood, a small village or a country, it can also be felt on a global scale.

In the small desert city of Arad, American Jews and Israelis have been coming together and creating a community of their own due to efforts of the New Jersey/Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership. Established in 1995 as part of the Jewish Agency’s P2G platform, the Partnership’s mission is to connect between Jewish American communities from New Jersey and Delaware with the city of Arad and Tamar Regional Council in Israel, while offering Jewish Americans an opportunity to participate in overseas collaborations and volunteer in Israel.

In February of 2012, Isabel Strasser of Brick Township, NJ, and Louise and Martin Abrams of New York arrived in Arad to take part in the Partnership’s volunteer program, which offers American Jews a unique opportunity to experience life in Arad and volunteer within its communities. For three weeks, Isabel, Louise and Martin resided in an apartment in the center of Arad, enjoying the city’s unique ambiance and relaxed atmosphere. Isabel and Louise, who are both teachers by profession, settled naturally in Yaelim-Ofarim School, helping two local teachers teach English to 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders, mainly through joint activities and conversation, with Martin joining in as well.  

“We were able to give these children everyday English and they became very fluent and knowledgeable,” recalls Louise, “we started a blog with the 5^th graders and we will be writing in it. Hopefully I’ll add 10 children from NY to the blog, as well”.

Sophie Kaniazev, the children’s English teacher, had nothing but praise for her volunteers. “They are truly special people and their work was heartfelt. Isabel and Louise are both teachers and Marty took a course so that he could volunteer. They clearly know what they are doing. They really helped us and did a lot for the children”.

For Strasser, who visited Israel many times in the past and volunteered in Arad in 2011, the decision to return was an easy one. “I love it here. I formed relationships with the kids and became close to the teachers. Some kids remembered me from last year, some were like ‘where do I know her from?”

Isabel, Louise and Martin’s volunteer spirit did not end with the ring of the bell, as they also volunteered once a week at Beit Gil-Ad, a local senior day-care center. It was there that they were able to really get to know the local community and form meaningful friendships. The three volunteers invited several of Beit Gil-Ad’s residents over for dinner and became close with their families.

“The program’s goal is to create an opportunity for the volunteers to integrate within the community,” says Ruthie Dan-Guri, the Partnership’s Living Bridge Coordinator who oversees the volunteer program, “their community service gives them a chance to meet people”.

“Isabel told us about this program last year, and it has been very exciting. I came along with Louise, and it has been wonderful,” reflects Martin, while Louise adds, “Meeting these wonderful children, teachers and people in Arad, it is a very trusting and caring community. For me, Israel is like welcome home. I felt this in Arad”.

The people of Arad welcomed Isabel, Louise and Martin with open arms, and 2012’s volunteer program is a success by all standards. By interacting with children, teachers and senior citizens and making friends with people in town, the volunteers helped create a richer, more caring community. They were suddenly part of something bigger. They become part of Arad life.

“It is important to get people to come to Israel. So many people can do it. It would really help the children”, says Strasser, “I have dates for when I am coming next year. I will also Skype with the children. It is a great way for them to practice their English”.

 “I really appreciate people who come here and want to volunteer and invest their time in helping the children, and I really hope we will stay in touch,” says Kaniazev, “I want to take this opportunity to say thank you”.

The festive 4^th of July picnic was initiated by the New Jersey/Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership2Gether (P2G), a Jewish Agency framework that has been connecting between Jewish American communities from New Jersey and Delaware with the city of Arad and Tamar Regional Council in Israel for over 15 years, upon being notified that members of Temple Sholom, a congregation in Scotch Plains, NJ, would be arriving in Arad on that very day as part of their two-week nationwide tour of Israel.

As many volunteers from New Jersey and Delaware arrive to the city every summer, the P2G staff decided to invite all visiting Americans in town to the picnic. In attendance were six New Jersey college students who had recently arrived to voluntarily serve as instructors within “Kefiada”, a unique 3-week English camp for Arad’s elementary school children operated by American and Israeli counselors, who mingled with adolescent participants from “Gesher”, a program that focuses on bringing youth from Arad and New Jersey closer together by developing their collective Jewish identities and creating opportunities for dialogue. Also on hand were Cherry Hill residents Ed and Stacey Rivkin, who had arrived in Arad for the second straight year to teach art workshops to children participating in Counterpoint, a 3-week personal empowerment and Jewish values program consisting of English lessons, talent-building workshops and field trips administered to children aged 13-17. Joining the group were also numerous local P2G volunteers who came with their children to give Arad’s guests from abroad a warm welcome hug.  

America’s national holiday was celebrated in high spirits, Israeli-style: hamburger patties and hot dogs were served inside pita bread, and chicken wings were consumed alongside kebabs and plates of humus showered with olive oil and hyssop, a Middle Eastern seasoning. And while the food was indeed very good, the company proved to be even better, as members of Temple Sholom gradually became acquainted with the Kefiada counselors and local P2G staff and volunteers.

Conversations touched on a wide range of topics, never straying far from discussions on the connection everyone nurtures towards Israel, both from afar as well as up close during visits to the holy land. It was evident that the six Kefiada instructors, who had arrived in Israel a week before, were still getting used to Israel’s unique atmosphere and the desert serenity of Arad; the young New Jersey natives had begun their volunteer work with Arad’s children just a few days prior to the picnic, and their eyes were glimmering with excitement. The relaxed atmosphere at “Adventure Park” gave them an opportunity to reflect on their emotions.

“It’s been great so far,” said Yale Gordon of Scotch Plains, who has spent 9 months in Israel in 2010/11, “I am explaining things to the kids in Hebrew and my Hebrew has picked up. I also teach them English words here and there”.

“We like living here. The kids are a lot of fun and the desert view and air are amazing,” added Dylan Glasser from Mays Landing, “It’s a complete cultural immersion. It’s very different from home”.

The P2G staff was especially excited to personally meet with members of Temple Sholom. Originally located in Plainfield NJ, the Temple is under preparation to celebrate 100 years of existence in 2013. Arad’s P2G office was well acquainted with Temple Sholom, as the congregation had generously donated books to Arad’s local library in the past. 

“I have been trying to set up a trip to Israel for years, and this year it worked.” said Rabbi Joel N. Abraham, the Temple’s rabbinical leader, “So far this trip has been great, we have been balancing between seeing stuff and becoming acquainted with wonderful people and organizations. We started our trip in Jerusalem and made our way down south. We knew we had to come to Arad before heading north, because it is our partnership community”.

“When the Rabbi announced the trip to Israel, I told him we would be 13,” said Martin Schwartz, a Temple Sholom member and former president, whose father and grandfather also served as Temple Sholom presidents, “We are thrilled at the absorption that our grandchildren are taking in. My wife and I have been to Israel twice before, including Arad, but the highlight is seeing our six grandchildren mesh together and absorbing what Israel has to offer”.

David Richmand, a Temple Sholom member for over 30 years, was looking for a reason to come back to Israel after visiting twice in the past: “This trip is different because we have met more Israelis. We met Israelis of Ethiopian descent, as well as people whose families have come to Israel from Libya and Yemen. People we don’t know much about. This trip was unique, in that we not only had the opportunity to see and do things in Eretz Yisrael, but we were invited into homes for Shabbat dinner and had a chance to see how people live”.

For many Americans in attendance, celebrating the 4th of July in Israel was an experience that made them feel at even more at home in their religious homeland. As for the Israelis on hand, the picnic served as an opportunity to welcome friends to Arad, shower them with hospitality and most importantly, show their gratitude. 

“Gatherings such as these are very important”, said Eyal Kedar, the new Chairman of the Israeli Arad/Tamar-NJ/Del P2G Steering Committee and an Arad local, “The connection between an Israeli Jew and the United States, or an American Jew and Israel, becomes truly meaningful when they are manifested on a personal level. People connect and react to people, and meeting face-to-face is what it’s all about”.

“This picnic is a really nice gesture that makes us feel less homesick”, said Kefiada instructor John Burkhart.

“This BBQ made us feel great,” concluded Martin Schwartz, “This trip is everything we had hoped for. It makes you feel a little bit like being home”.

By Itay Ben-Eliezer

A pleasant January evening was the ideal setting for a warm meeting between teachers and educational program leaders from Arad and a delegation of distinguished educators from New Jersey. The delegation visited Arad as part of a tour of Israel planned by the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey and the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ, who both cooperate with the Jewish Agency’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) platform that connects Jewish communities overseas with communities in Israel. The joint delegation to Israel is part of the upcoming merger between the two organizations, due to take place in July of 2012.

The New Jersey delegation met with Arad/Tamar-New Jersey/Delaware P2G Director, Nili Avrahamy, and Living Bridge Coordinator Ruthie Dan-Guri, who introduced them to several cutting-edge educational programs funded by the Partnership that are making a true difference in Arad. 

First on hand was “College for All”, a unique educational afterschool program catering to 86 exceptionally talented children from Arad’s local schools, who possess potential for individual and academic excellence. College for All’s curriculum is known for balancing learning and fun and has proven effective in empowering Arad’s children. Some delegation members were very impressed by the methods used within College for All’s workshops, saying they will attempt to integrate them into their own educational curriculums in New Jersey. One of the playful methods that particularly caught their eye took place during an English lesson, as the instructor pasted various words in English onto plastic baskets and arranged the baskets in a row at the front of the class. He then handed the pupils tennis balls, and upon uttering a word in Hebrew, their mission was to locate the corresponding word in English, read it out loud and throw the ball into the appropriate basket.

The next stop was Ort Arad High School, where delegation members met with children and trustees from “Youth Futures”, the Jewish Agency’s national program for disadvantaged youth. The program pairs students with trustees that serve both as role models and counselors to the children throughout the week, accompanying them to various activities and spending as much time as possible with them.

After learning about “Youth Futures” from Lea Samuch, the program’s manager in Arad, delegation members and children joined hands for collective pottery painting in honor of Tu Bishvat, the upcoming Jewish ‘New Year of the Trees’ Holiday. The connection between New Jersey natives and local children was warm and immediate, as each delegation member and child were given a flowerpot, brushes and colors. The pots’ developing vivacity and color mirrored the dialogue between teachers and children, which touched on topics ranging from painting techniques to the children’s daily lives in Arad and their school experiences.   

Delegation members also met with and were inspired by Yishai, an 18 year old volunteer within Arad’s “Tzameret Shnat Sherut” program, which brings together high school graduates throughout Israel, who postpone their army service in order to volunteer within communities far from home. Yishai described how he and his fellow volunteers help develop unique curriculums within local schools and improve the network of social activities offered to children in Arad. Nili Avrahamy revealed that a similar program involving young American adults from the Arad/Tamar P2G’s partner communities in New Jersey and Delaware, who will volunteer alongside the Tzameret team, is currently in the works.

The evening continued in Arad’s Young Adult Center, one of the projects funded by the Central NJ’s Mack Ness Fund, where delegation members enjoyed dinner in the company of some of the city’s leading teachers and educators. Both parties gradually became acquainted, hearing and telling interesting stories about Arad and New Jersey respectfully, as well as sharing their insights as educators on a myriad of topics.

“My fellow teachers and I can’t praise the members of the delegation enough for coming to Israel and visiting Arad”, said Rafi Freeman, a teacher from Arad who made aliyah to Israel 38 years ago from New York, “We were really happy to meet them. The cooperation between the communities is a blessing”.

The fervent group of American and Israeli educators conducted a passionate discussion over dinner, on various educational and social challenges facing Israel and the Arad/Tamar region today. The group openly addressed issues such as national and local politics in Israel, as well as Arad and the Negev’s numerous minority populations and the educational challenges experienced by the local teachers on a daily basis.

Delegation members reflected on what they had seen in Arad, as well as in other places they had visited. Erica Green from Scotch Plains, NJ, expressed her inspiration: “I like to see how young people take ideas and bring them to fruition. In Israel, young people are making a difference, individually and as a group. They are not afraid of hard work. It makes me want to do something”.

Linda Poleyeff, the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey’s Director of Jewish Education, who led the delegation tour throughout Israel together with Randi Brokman, Israel and Overseas Associate at the UJC MetroWest, summed up the fruitful exchange of ideas between educators from the Garden State and Arad/Tamar: “It’s advantageous that we can meet our partners in Israel. For me, as a teacher, it’s exciting to see and hear some great ideas”.

On April 23^rd, twelve 8^th graders from the Kellman Brown Academy in Voorhees, New Jersey visited Ort Arad High School, as part of the Eco-Connection Program whose mission is to bring together American and Israeli students through the prism of ecology and environmental sustainability. It was a rare opportunity for the pupils of Kellman Brown and fellow 8^th graders from Ort Arad, who have recently begun working on joint ecological projects mainly via internet conferencing, to meet face to face. It was an experience both parties would not soon forget.

While Jewish communities share many experiences that are based on Judaism and Jewish identity, they also foster many mutual universal values such as environmental awareness. In fact, ecological awareness and environmental care can be traced throughout generations of Jewish teaching and tradition. It therefore comes as no surprise that for the past six years, American and Israeli youth have been getting to know one another through the Eco-Connection program, which advocates environmental awareness through joint projects, workshops and online conferences.

In 2008, the Eco-Connection Program began operating in Arad within the scope of the New Jersey /Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership 2Gether (P2G) platform, a Jewish Agency initiative that has been connecting Israeli communities from the city of Arad and the Tamar regional council with Jewish communities from New Jersey and Delaware for the past 20 years. What began in 2008 as a humble collaboration between two schools from New Jersey and two schools from Arad has grown by 2012 to a 12-school initiative that includes a fruitful exchange of ideas via joint video conferences and an active program blog, not to mention projects such as mobile greenhouse building, recycling centers within schools, solar cooking, T-shirt design contests and the “Eco-Campus” – an internet platform that encompasses ecological galleries, symbols, blogs, video clips and information shared by both children and teachers. It has become an integral facet of the bond between Arad – one of Israel’s most ecologically and geographically unique cities – and the fittingly named Garden State.

A mere two days before Israel’s 64^th Day of Independence, pupils from the Kellman Brown Academy and Ort Arad High School, who were paired together within the scope of the program only months before, met in person, thus fulfilling the program goal of initiating face-face meetings between Israeli and American youth.

The meeting was facilitated by Carmi Wisemon, Executive Director of Sviva Israel, the organization that developed and operates the Eco-Connection program. The pupils were seated in a roomy classroom, where Wisemon began by introducing the participating staff of both schools and conveying program’s main message: “We believe in confidence. We believe in leadership. We believe in excellence”. Wisemon then initiated an innovative version of musical chairs by playing Sister Sledge’s “We are Family” as the students rotated on opposing chairs, engaging in conversations during musical interludes. According to Wisemon, the song wasn’t chosen by accident: “We chose the song because we are all family and any Jew coming to Israel knows he has a family”, he said.

After the ice-breaking game, the children of Ort Arad invited their guests on a treasure hunt throughout the school, with candy masquerading as treasure. Arie Gozgi, an 8^th grader from Arad, explained the logic behind the activity to his American peers: “We wanted to show you our school. A treasure hunt throughout the classrooms and hallways is our way of doing that. What do you think of our school?”

The Kellman Brown pupils simultaneously answered that they were surprised by how big Ort Arad is – approximately five times bigger than their own school.  To this replied 8^th grader Yaara Betesh: “Our school is considered medium-sized in Israel. We tried to connect with you through the treasure hunt and we hope you enjoyed yourselves”.

Before leaving the classroom to pose for a group photo in the schoolyard, the Ort Arad pupils bestowed their American peers with yet another surprise: small giftwrapped bags filled with an assortment of herbs and spices native to the Arad area, which Arad residents commonly use for cooking and which symbolize the pupils’ appreciation of the region’s natural surroundings.

Once in the yard, the children enjoyed popsicles, engaged in group discussions and got to know one another as Selma Roffman, the Principal of Kellman Brown Academy, looked on with unabashed pride. “This is an opportunity for us to get to know one another as people, including both our similarities and our differences,” beamed Roffman, “speaking on our children’s behalf, it strengthens their Jewish identity and their bond to Israel. Loving Israel is one of the objectives of our trips and putting faces on names does that”.

When asked why he felt the program was so important, Carmi Wisemon replied: “The program takes place throughout the entire school year, therefore deepening the connection between the students and their respective schools. In addition, we blend Jewish themes with general knowledge, because we connect as Jews but also as citizens of the world. And finally, the program enables American youth to keep in touch with their Jewish identities and with Israel, while invoking a sense of responsibility within Israeli youth towards cultivating the important bond with Jews from the United States”.

“The Partnership is incredibly happy to be involved in this program and to fund its activities within Arad and New Jersey”, added Ruthie Dan-Gurie, the New Jersey /Delaware – Arad/Tamar Partnership Living Bridge Coordinator, “The program tackles some serious issues, while simultaneously creating dialogue between children who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to meet”. 

As the children socialized, one could not help but be moved by how naturally pupils from vastly different countries form friendships with one another. The children’s effortless interaction was overflowing with grace and purity, in perfect sync with the ecological values they are promoting. And also in harmony with Selma Roffman’s message to the children: “Keep this connection going. It is called Eco-Connection but it is also a friendship between Israel and New Jersey”.

Living Bridge programs implemented in southern Israel’s unique desert city impact Israeli youth and New Jersey counselors alike

Cool autumn winds have rendered the summer heat a distant memory, yet for many children and parents from the southern Israeli town of Arad, as well as sixteen young American counselors, the summer of 2011 will remain vivid for a long time to come.

Last July sixteen Jewish American counselors, ten of which hail from New Jersey and Delaware, arrived in Arad to teach English and empower children from the local community through two unique summer camp initiatives named “Kefiada” and “Counterpoint Israel”, respectively. Kefiada and Counterpoint Israel in Arad are both funded by a cluster of Jewish Federations from New Jersey and Delaware, whom are deeply connected to the city of Arad and the Tamar regional council through the local Partnership 2Gether (P2G) platform, an inspiring, long term partnership developed and cultivated by the Jewish Agency, a social service organization that has been connecting Jews from all over the world with Israel for over 80 years. A majority of the counselors, who are all college students, are members of the Arad and Tamar’s partner communities in New Jersey and Delaware. And as the counselors would find out soon enough, meeting the children and community of Arad would change the way they view Israel and its people, as well as offer them opportunities for personal growth.

Kefiada and Counterpoint Israel are much more than summer English camps; both serve as a “living bridge” between the Jewish communities in New Jersey and Delaware and Israelis from Arad. Their importance lies in creating a bond between Israeli children from the periphery and Jewish Americans who are passionate about their heritage, while also in introducing Jewish Americans to Arad and the nearby region. Located on the outskirts of the Negev and Judean Deserts, Arad is notable for its clean air, dry climate and surrounding desert mountains, as well as for its diverse Jewish population. Arad is also located a mere 12 miles from the historic Masada fortification, the site of the Romans’ siege against the Jews that rebelled against the Empire in 73 AD. Geographically, Arad is located deep within Israel’s periphery, as the majority of Israel’s population resides with the country’s central regions as well as on the Mediterranean coastline. Surrounded by desert and located a two-hour drive south of Tel-Aviv, Arad is often overlooked by visitors from the Diaspora in favor Israel’s central and northern regions.

Operating in Arad for the past fourteen years, Kefiada, which stems from the Hebrew word “Kef” (fun), educates children aged 9-12 in English and other subjects during the summer. American counselors run the camp during three intense weeks with fellow Israeli counselors, and as Program Director Lior Oknin describes, “Kefiada offers a two-way street experience; the counselors connect to Arad and its community, while our pupils get to know Jews who live overseas, thereby establishing closeness and trust with Jewish communities outside of Israel”.

Counterpoint Israel is a personal empowerment and Jewish values program developed and operated by Yeshiva University in New York, taking place during three consecutive weeks throughout the summer and consisting of English lessons, talent-building workshops and field trips administered to children aged 13-17. The counselors are mostly YU students who work with fellow Israeli counselors who are in charge of the workshops. Implemented for many years in the southern Israeli cities of Yerucham and Dimona and stationed in Arad for the first time in 2011, Counterpoint is described by YU Projects Director Gila Rockman as a “meeting place between Israel and the Diaspora, emphasizing ‘togetherness’ for the benefit of the Arad and its community”.

Tal Meiri, 19, who resided in Israel for one year prior to arriving in Arad as a Kefiada counselor, recalls her experiences: “For me it was an opportunity to get to know another side of Israel…I spent Shabbat with an Ethiopian family and met with parents who immigrated to Israel from India…I loved the diversity within the Arad community”. Avital Chizhik, 20, a Counterpoint instructor, recalls meeting with the children together with other counselors: “They wanted to connect. They wanted to be our friends. We were on cloud nine because of that. It really says a lot about children that their heart is open”. Avital fondly remembers a group of 3 girls who were not easy to approach at first: “They were very tough, but I was able to connect with them and we had a lot of deep conversations. We talked about the topics they like to talk about at first, and that served as a gateway to important subjects like self-esteem”.

Many of the counselors had never been to Arad, and deeply connected with its desert ambiance and small town demeanor. Avital recalls: “I was expecting the projects, yet Arad is well developed and resembles a nice suburban little town. I was blown away by the nature and the contrast between green lawns and palm trees and the desert”. Yossi Mason, 22, who returned last summer for his second stint as instructor at Kefiada: “Arad is the nicest place I have ever been to. It is my favorite city. The people are great; the weather is pleasant and relaxing. It’s a friendly area. I feel at home there”. Eliana Sohn, who visited Israel for the fifth time last summer, arrived in Arad for the first time via Counterpoint: “I was looking to become more involved in the Israel experience, and not just meet tourists. I feel I made a connection with southern Israel. I had never given the south much thought before”.

Living Bridge initiatives are important for many American Jews, who seek to establish a deep connection with Israel and its vibrant communities, as well as for Israelis. These connections make a true difference, as cultural differences afford countless learning opportunities and similarities create an empowering bond. Rabbi Joshua Hess of Linden, NJ, who joined Counterpoint as the program’s Rabbinical Leader, reflects: “It was difficult for the counselors to say goodbye to the campers. The depth of their relationships was profound. We managed to teach the campers some values that will help them as adults”. Stacey Rivkin of Cherry Hill, NJ, who traveled to Arad with her husband Ed and volunteered to teach arts & crafts at Counterpoint, observes: “I came to realize that both Israelis and American Jews think about the future of our youth, and while our concerns may be different, there are many similarities”. Ruti, a parent of a pupil enrolled in Counterpoint, adds: “My son connected to the American students as fellow Jews.  For us as parents, it is important to teach our children that the Jewish people is made up of different people from all over the world and only coming together will make us stronger”.

Seventy members of the Jewish Community of Monmouth County visited Arad-Tamr on November 4, highlighting the visit by planting trees in the Tlalim Neighborhood. “We now know that when we get back to visit here, we can will that the trees planted have grown and strengthened, as have our relations with Arad since the beginning of the Partnership,” they said.

We hope you are all well and safe!

We have been watching on the news the devastating effects of Sandy and we are very concerned about you and your families.

We would like to send you a personal invitation to come stay with us in Israel, here in Arad – Tamar.

We will be happy to host you and your families while things clear up in your area.

You are our family and we are here for you during these difficult times

If there is anything at all we can do, please let us know

All the best,

Eyal Keydar

Chairman of the Arad-Tamar Steering Committee