Partnership Together (P2G)!

Our day began with a visit to the Hadera-Eiron Region which is partnered through the Jewish Agency's Partnership Together program with the South-Eastern Consortium. 

A visit at the Ben Yakir Youth Village served as the backdrop to learn more about this wonderful program and partnership.

It was a very gratifying visit as I staffed this partnership for 5 years when I lived in Jacksonville.  To see how this partnership has blossomed so beautifully was such a fantastic highlight for me. 

 And, I ran into a dear friend from Jacksonville - surprise - and one of Matan's former teachers.  Liat was visiting the region to spend time with the teacher with whom she is partnered in Hadera.  This teacher exchange has created professional and personal relationships for teachers all over the Southeastern part of the USA.  In turn, students have developed friendships with their Israeli counterparts. 

Partnership together serves to create people to people connections between the Diaspora and Israel.  These connections allow all of us not just to think about places in Israel on a map or sites to see, but about our friends, colleagues, and family all over Israel. Partnership puts a face on Israel for all of us.

Western Mass is proudly partnered with Afula-Gilboa through the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC).  Our Israel Emissary program comes through this partnership.

 One of the many young people in Israel who has become friends with Americans through P2G.  He spoke about the impact that it has had on his live and others.  His Mom, a teacher, found such meaning in his relationships with teens from Knoxville, TN that she brought the program to her classroom in Israel too!

P2G is serving to change the relationship between the Diaspora and Israel. The relationships that we develop through P2G transform us to a time when we can give as much as we receive from both sides of the ocean.  It is a beautiful thing.