This week a mission of 8 women from Rosh Ha’ayin returned from a successful trip to New Orleans. The Fitness 2Gether program started a few months ago, in Rosh Ha’ayin and New Orleans simultaneously, as part of the Partnership 2Gether Rosh Ha’ayin-New Orleans project of the Jewish Agency.

The group of women from Rosh Ha’ayin met weekly for a slimming and fitness workshop, and similar sessions took place for a group of women from the Jewish community in New Orleans. In the last few months the women from either side of the ocean have been in touch via Skype, Facebook and telephone. They have gotten to know each other and share their experiences.

Last week a mission of women from Rosh Ha’ayin left for a visit and to stay with the women in New Orleans, to meet them face to face. The joint fitness sessions, workshops, encounters with the community, and home hospitality, generated close bonds between the women. Leah Azeri from the mission says that “the efforts the women of the community made to make us welcome, and to constantly ensure we were comfortable, moved us very much.” Shuli Gal adds that: “the ice was broken from the very first encounter, and the warmth and love for Israel exuded by everyone helped, us in an unbelievable way, to talk freely about ourselves, our lives and our families, and about the individual and community work we do.”

The aim of the program is generate direct links between the women of the different communities, and to create genuine closeness between the populations. Indeed, warm bonds were struck between the women, particularly due to the hospitality at the hostesses’ homes, and the time the women spent together. For a few days the women from Rosh Ha’ayin had an opportunity to experience and feel the daily lives of the women from New Orleans from close quarters, and to appreciate what it means to be a Jew in the United States.

Shuli Gal sums up the trip thus: “It was an experience which left us all with a powerful impression of enjoyment, new friends, and strengthening of the partnership between Rosh Ha’ayin and New Orleans.”

Last Tuesday, a group of 40 students from Tulane University in New Orleans landed in Israel, as part of a Birthright trip. The group was joined by eight soldiers from Rosh Ha’ayin who left the uniforms behind and joined their new friends from New Orleans for a week. Two days later, the group arrived for a visit in Rosh Ha’ayin in the framework of the Partnership’s “Birthright2GETHER” program of “Partnership2Gether” project of the Jewish Agency for Israel, connecting Rosh Ha’ayin to the Jewish community in New Orleans

The group arrived to Migdal Tzedek in Rosh Ha’ayin and was welcomed by local Begin High School students. They took part in fun activity the students organized and got a glimpse into the world of youth in the city. Later they continued to a volunteering activity in Begin High school, which involved over 200 students! The purpose of the volunteering activity was, among other things, to help the high school seniors prepare for oral exams in English.

The Large tables prepared in advance for group discussions, were filled with excited students and visitors. English was the only language spoken in school for two hours. The American students were excited to hear about the experiences of Israelis who are about to start their military service, as well as the lives of young people in Israel and Rosh Ha’ayin. The seniors on their part heard about American Jewish life and college life. “It’s interesting to hear young American Jews, despite them being Jewish as us- live in a different reality altogether” said Yuval, a senior student at Begin.

The conversations flowed and when it was time to say goodbye it was really hard to separate the two sides. The School staff organized the event in an exceptional manner, under the direction of the principle Zehavit and the English coordinator, Monica.
After the meeting the Americans were hosted by families from Rosh Ha’ayin for an Israeli dinner.

As many American participants mentioned, the visit to Rosh Ha’ayin was one of the most significant experiences, many mentioned this as the most prominent and meaningful part of their experience in Israel.

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Dick Neff

New Orleans Partnership2Gether has grown and thrived under the leadership of co-chairs Lis Kahn and Robert Witrock. New Orleans and Rosh Ha’ayin thanks Robert for all the wonderful work he has done as he steps down from his two year co-chair role.

We are happy to welcome Dick Neff as new co-chair with Lis Kahn. Dick fist visited Rosh Ha’ayin two years ago with the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Mega Mission. He loved the warmth and friendship he felt there and was excited to become more involved with the P2G committee.

Hugo and Lis Kahn

Robert Witrock

Following the success of the April 2012 music delegation, a reciprocal delegation to Rosh Ha’ayin is scheduled for June 2013. The Delegation will be made of three music teachers and 3 students from NOCCA who will attend the “New Orleans” festival in Rosh Ha’ayin June 2013. Before and after the festival there will be educational musical activities in schools and in the Music Center. We hope this delegation will be the first of a long-standing tradition and will have an important role in the relationship between Rosh Ha’ayin residents and the Jewish community in New Orleans.

The groups will meet for a 5 week course on Jewish identity that emphasizes individual reflection and group discussion. They will focus on a topic decided upon beforehand, while participating in curriculum development. They may try to incorporate a film, or short videos as teaching materials. The five weeks will involve separate sessions for each community, as well as group sessions where they meet together

The Open Beit Midrash is a parallel Beit Midrash running simultaneously in each of the groups.

The Jewish open minded, non-denominational setting provided by the Beit Midrash will encourage the exploration of new answers and the building of new friendships.

One of the goals this year would be to train the RH participants to lead that group in the future, and to widen both groups’ circles to outside the P2K immediate connections.

Target Population:

10 participants in each community, ages 30-50, from all denominations and walks of life who are interested in an open minded, pluralist learning experience.

Recruitment of participants will focus on host families or among those who took part in the partnership over the years.

The steering committee and other programs participants will be involved and will help to recruit new participants for future courses

Follow up Component and measurable outcome:

• Participants will explore their Jewish identity and community as a part of the Jewish people.
• participants learn about their partnered community and explore the Jewish world together
• Widen the circles of volunteers, participants, knowledge, and understanding of the essence and importance of P2G for each community.
• Explore and strengthen the shared interests in the connection with Jews from the two communities

New Orleans and Rosh Ha’ayin / Israel are threatened by emergency situations.

New Orleans is prepared for a mass casualty event due to natural hazards as storm Katrina. The State of Israel is prepared for a mass casualty event that may occur for security reasons.

The communities can collaborate and share knowledge in emergency preparedness. We propose to hold a seminar for emergency medicine professionals, integrating the fields of social work professionals, nurses and doctors, who specialize in these areas.

This field can help the Jewish community in NOLA and RH’s preparedness through community operations as well as municipal level.

The program is planned to take place in NOLA and might be continued by a reciprocal visit to RH afterwards.

Target Population: Social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, nurse doctors etc.

The municipality has a doctors’ leadership group, which can be taking part in such an initiative

The visit is planned for summer 2013 and will include a three-day conference/ professional seminar, and 3-4 days of touring and community involvement in the area of NOLA.

Follow up Component and measurable outcome:

• Structured and unstructured continuing connections (including elements of Jewish identity and peoplehood, as well as professional). Beit Midrash can be used.
• Knowledge of the challenges of Jewish life in the US and Israel will be apparent, and continued to be discussed between the groups upon return.
• Increased correlation between the experience and the involvement in the community of each participant, in P2K and in Israel related activities (measuring using interactive forms/ surveys/ questionnaires) – including volunteering actions.

The exchange will be maintained remotely via Internet, email, Skype, etc.

There is an option of a competition like the Biggest Loser; the winners will be the ones to visit the other community. The individuals will have a chance to meet, in person, to share their triumphs at a “Fit 2gether” exchange event that will include healthy living seminars, sporting events, group fitness classes, etc. Individuals can focus their exchange activity on one, or more of the following; Weight loss Stress reduction Physical fitness ( i.e.: training for an event like triathlon, bike race, 1/2 marathon, etc) Blood pressure and cholesterol management.

At this point, the process of choosing a facilitator has started in both communities.

The Target Population is Adults, 8-10 from each community.

Program goals and measures:

• Individual improved lifestyle while at the same time creating people to people connection sharing a mutual target.
• A Fitness2GETHER exchange event will create exposure to large number of people in the Jewish and Non Jewish community in New Orleans and Rosh Ha’ayin who will attend.
• Better understanding and knowledge regarding life in Israel and in Rosh Ha’ayin as well as life of the Jewish people in New Orleans.

Forty Tulane New Orleans University students toured Israel on TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT, and were joined by eight soldiers from Rosh Ha’ayin during the week-long visit in the framework of the Partnership’s “Birthright2GETHER” program.

The group arrived in Rosh Ha’ayin on Monday May 14, 2012, were welcomed by local Israeli Scouts youth movement members, took part in an Israeli Scouting activity and competitions, and learned scouting style cheerleading.

Later in the evening they were hosted by families for an Israeli dinner. In spite of the geographical distance it seems that the connection between New Orleans and Rosh Ha’ayin is closer than ever!

A second group of students is planned to arrive in summer 2013.

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Mayor Moshe Sinai (right) and Mayor Mitch Landrieu

Rosh Ha’ayin Mayor Moshe Sinai visited New Orleans, as part of an international mayors’ conference where he signed a partnership cities agreements with New Orleans Mayor Mr. Mitch Landrieu. He also received high praise for exceptional cooperation with the Jewish community in the city, and for the Partnership’s role in acting as a model for cooperation between cities around the world. The mayor also met with representatives of the local Jewish community.

• View Coverage on New Orleans City Council Website (Scroll down and click on 2. SECOND ORDER – PRESENTATION)

Right to left- Hugo and Lis Kahn, Michael Weil, Mayor Moshe Sinai, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, July Wise Oreck and Danny Shanni