Mimi Avishai's Desert Queen Experience

This year, in honor of Israel's 60th celebration of independence, the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 program joined one of Israel's most innovative and challenging initiatives for women – Geographical Tours "Desert Queen" Annual Jeep Expedition. The expedition took place in the Negev Desert for seven days of extreme sport, obstacle driving, rappelling, a12 Km bike ride into the desert and cliff climbing peppered with Zionism, history and sisterhood.

So what made this expedition so special?

Incredible women from the Israel P2K Partnerships together with our remarkable sisters from Partnership Federations from the Pittsburg, Florida, New Zealand, Germany, Australia, Argentina and South Africa joined together to celebrate Israel's 60th year. Sixty women set out with back packs and sleeping bags in Four Wheel Drive jeeps to explore the Negev desert as well as our inner selves for a challenging week of sisterhood, excitement, sharing and learning.

And all the planning, guiding and logistics - by strong, energetic, inspiring women of the Geographical Tours organization and the Jewish Agency.

Our journey took us through the amazing archeological and geographical sites of the Negev desert. We visited Nizanna on the Egyptian border where we learned of their absorption of Ethiopian Youth, and their recycling and environmental programs. We visited a women's combat unit on their base. We learnt of the Nabitean, Biblical, Bedouin and Nomadic way of life. We felt the presence of G-d all around us as we stood looking over the Makhtesh HaKatan (Small Crater) and our guide, Sigal, read a poem to us as we took in the breathtaking scene before us.

Orna and I are from the Arad-Tamar/ New Jersey-Delaware Partnership. We both feel grateful and privileged that we were given the opportunity to represent our Partnership on this occasion. We, as Grandmothers, felt a great deal of satisfaction and accomplishment as we mastered each of the challenges and obstacles along the way. We both came out of this experience stronger and prouder – stronger and prouder of being women, stronger and prouder than ever before to be Israeli, and stronger and prouder to be part of P2K.

However, we were both awe-struck and inspired by four remarkable young women on our expedition. Team 4, comprised of Hanna (from New Zealand), Ronit (from South Africa), Tali (from Germany) and Ingrid (from Argentina) are participants in the Jewish Agency Masa Program – a project of the Government of Israel and Jewish communities around the world, represented by the Jewish Agency for Israel which enables young Jews from all over the world to spend a semester to a year in Israel on any of over 160 programs. Three of these young women have completed their time with Masa and have made the decision and commitment to make aliya.

We are starting the New Year with renewed energy, vitality and spirituality. We would like to thank both the Jewish Agency and the Geographical Tours for a wonderful experience. And we would like to wish all our friends, family and Partners and very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

Shana Tova

Best Wishes

for a New Year filled with

Health, Happiness, Peace and Partnership

Sivia Braunstein, Yehoyakim Gavish & Alison Lawton

P2K Chairs

Amy Cooper & Shimon Shamila

P2K Coordinators

Ivriada and Kefiada Counselors Meet Down the Shore

From Sivia Braunstein, P2K Chair

I wanted to share with you all the lovely experience I had this weekend. Eight of the Ivriada counselors--4 from Arad/Tamar and 4 from elsewhere were with me for the weekend. It was a lovely group of young people. Nancy Schultz, Living Bridge Chair, also joined us.

I was very impressed by their concern for the children in the camps and for each other. I was delighted also by their concern for the continuation and strengthening of the Partnership.

Sunday, we were joined by three Kefiada counselors and their parents. They had a wonderful experience in Arad and are enamored with the place and the people. They couldn't say enough good things about "Ima" Ofra!! We spoke for an hour about the program and they came up with some suggestions. One idea I loved was for the Israelis to create a dictionary of up-to-date phrases to help the Kefiada counselors relate quickly to the Arad youngsters.

They all agreed to write about their experiences, and the three Kefiada women are very interested to speak in our communities- perhaps as part of Campaign? They are anxious to stay involved. I am also hoping that their parents will stay involved- we must be sure to follow through. It felt so natural to be together, and really did feel like a family. Looking forward to broadening this experience.

Sivia

Cultural Adjustment

Based on the writings of Elie Klein, Central New Jersey; Julie Marder and Jeremy Pollock, Southern New Jersey, Kefiada Counselors.

During our time here in Arad, we have had the opportunity to visit both the Ethiopian Absorption Center and the Ethiopian Youth Center, and interact with some of the other immigrants in the city. We have seen the incredible work that goes on in Arad, and witnessed the transformation of the Ethiopian immigrants into everyday Israeli citizens. We watched the Ethiopian families become a close knit community.

The Absorption Center in Arad provides Ethiopian immigrants with a means of integrating into modern Israeli culture. During their few months there, they learn everything from the basics of buying packaged groceries and disposable school supplies, to speaking Hebrew, using NIS, and understanding Israeli customs.

On one of our visits to the Center we met Gambo, an Ethiopian immigrant whose family waited nine years before coming to Israel. Immediately upon arrival, Gambo enrolled himself in the center’s Ulpan class. Ulpan, an intensive Hebrew study, runs 6 days a week but is off on Shabbat. After just five to eight months, Gambo and the other members of his class should be proficient in Hebrew. Ulpan is just one of many services offered by the Absorption Center which helps immigrants become part of society.

For the Ethiopian children, the community has established the Ethiopian Youth Center, aimed at providing them with the opportunities they need so that they too can enjoy the benefits of living in a modern day country. The kids need a place to go while their parents are out and where they can learn to play games and do everyday kid activities.

The Ethiopian Youth Center in Arad is a one room building, which at first glance does not look too exciting. But after speaking with some of the teens who go there, it is obvious how important it is. On the most basic level, the center provides a place for kids of all ages to relax with each other and participate in normal childhood activities that many people take for granted. Even more, it gets children involved in programs that they care about. Recently, the Ethiopian Youth Center put together a music program. They raised money to bring in a teacher from Beer Sheva who taught them how to set up and play a host of instruments. The children who learned to play were able to form a band which now performs once a week for everyone at the center. After the success of the music program, the kids are now interested in a hiring a dance teacher which the center is looking into.

Although the Youth Center primarily focuses on helping children acclimate into Israeli society, it also helps to link all Ethiopian families in the community. It provides them with a support group that they can utilize throughout their transition into modern Israeli citizens. During one of our visits, we met Chava, an Ethiopian girl, who described the Ethiopian community as a big family where everyone knows everyone else and genuinely cares about each other. She feels this sense of community stems from the Youth Center, where Ethiopian families are able to meet each other and form long lasting relationships. The camaraderie between the Ethiopians is immediately apparent to anyone who comes to visit. As soon as someone walks into the Center he is greeted with a hug and kisses on both cheeks, and is encouraged to join any of the ongoing activities. We were told that children who met at the Youth Center have continued their relationships throughout their school years.

Over the course of our time in Arad, we learned that most Ethiopian immigrants come to Israel because of religious idealism. Once they get there though, they are often dealt some pretty tough challenges. In addition to not understanding the language, many of them have to work extremely hard and put in extra hours so that their educational and vocational gains made in Ethiopia can be recognized in Israel. For instance, carpenters have to transition from working with wood to concrete. Students, who in Ethiopia had qualified for free university tuition, need to study in Israel for an extra two years in order to meet requirements for the same benefit. The Ethiopians are willing to endure these struggles so that their future descendants, native born Israeli’s, will be able to lead regular lives. Organizations such as the Absorption Center and the Youth Center help them deal with their issues.

Some activities, although informal, also help the immigrants acclimate. During our first couple of days in Arad we were invited to play basketball with a group of Ethiopians kids. While playing, the language and cultural barriers between us were nonexistent, and it felt like we were playing just another pick up game at our neighborhood JCC. The basketball game was a great experience and we all felt as if we bonded really well with the Ethiopians. A few days later we played with them again, this time a game of their football or our soccer. We arranged that each team would have both Ethiopians and Americans. Again, the language barrier was invisible. While we played, we realized how comfortable these immigrants were in their new surroundings, and how quickly they were able to adapt and interact with people that they barely knew. It gave us confidence that they would be able to successfully become integral members of the Israeli world.

Looking back at Ethiopian history, it is truly incredible to see how far they’ve come. Everyone we met, whether they have lived in Israel for a matter months, or are second generation Israelis, impressed on us their desire to move forward and create better lives for themselves and their families. Their ability to integrate into society while maintaining their unique sense of community is striking. As long as the Ethiopians continue to progress at such a rate, we are certain that they will find success.

Make a Proposal, Win a Grant

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Federations of the New Jersey/Delaware-Arad/Tamar Partnership 2000, we are pleased to inform you about the 2008-2009 Request for Proposal process. The mission of Partnership 2000 is to promote connections between the Jewish communities of New Jersey and Delaware and the Arad/Tamar Region of Israel by jointly identifying needs, developing solutions and implementing programs and projects that are mutually beneficial to and have impact on all constituencies.

The Partnership has identified five priority areas on which to focus its efforts:

· Environment and Education
· Economic Development/Population Growth
· Bringing Arad/Tamar to New Jersey/Delaware
· Art & Culture
· Talented Youth

In the coming funding year, Partnership 2000 is seeking grant proposals of $30,000 to $50,000 per year for new and innovative programming, and will consider multi-year funding up to three years. We strongly encourage collaboration among organizations and look for projects where additional funds can be leveraged. Projects should have clear benefits to both the Israeli and American communities. Partnership 2000 does not fund capital projects or projects which should be funded by the government or municipality.

Please note that while we are sending this notice to multiple professionals in your organization, only one proposal per organization will be accepted. Proposals must be submitted in Hebrew and English and are due on Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

We look forward to your participation in this process. If you would like an application or need assistance throughout the grant development and writing process, please contact Shimon Shamila, Director of the Arad/Tamar Partnership in Israel at shimonsh@jafi.org or Amy Cooper, Partnership 2000 Coordinator in New Jersey at acooper@jfedcnj.org.

Sincerely,



Sivia Braunstein, Yehoyakim Gavish, Alison Lawton
New Jersey/Delaware Arad Tamar

Chairs, American and Israeli Steering Committees

Desert Queen Trip

Partnership 2000 is sponsoring half the cost of this exciting new trip for women in the Negev!

"Desert Queen 60:60"
A Celebration of Israel – A Celebration for Jewish Women

Welcome to "Desert Queen 2008". This year, in honor of Israel's 60th celebration of independence, the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 program is joining one of Israel's most innovative and challenging initiatives for women – Geographical Tours "Desert Queen" Annual Jeep Expedition. We invite you to be one of 60 bold & adventuresome women to take part in "Desert Queen" – for the first time ever in Israel.

Only 60 women will be able to take part in this unique adventure celebrating Israel's 60th birthday: 30 Israeli women and 30 women from Jewish communities across the globe – all part of the Partnership 2000 (P2K) extended family. One of the Jewish Agency's flagship programs, for more than a decade, Partnership 2000 has brought together 45 cities and regions in Israel with 550 Jewish communities overseas. A common vision, shared values, strengths and challenges, and people-to-people programming all empower the P2K communities while bringing them into personal and direct engagement.

The participants will have a one-day orientation in Israel prior to departing on this great outdoor adventure. Participants will be divided in 15 teams – four women in each 4x4 jeep. The six-day expedition will take place in the beautiful desert terrains of Israel's southern region, and will present the ladies with physical, mental and organizational challenges. The expedition includes a special Shabbat program.

The expedition is open to women over the age of 20 with a valid driver's license. Registered candidates will be screened for compatibility. Places are limited.

The "Desert Queen 60:60" Jeep Expedition will take place on Sept. 16-22, 2008.
Cost of expedition per participant: $1,200 (not including airfare)Price includes: orientation & full board for the seven-day trek (including jeep)


For more information and registration click here

For additional information please contact us: queen60@jafi.org

Welcome to Partnership 2000

Welcome to the New Jersey/Delaware-Arad/Tamar Partnership 2000 blog.

Its purpose is to provide the vehicle for communicating and learning about the New Jersey/Delaware-Arad/Tamar, Israel Partnership 2000. It's an opportunity to connect communally, organizationally and personally with people who value the process and accomplishments that result from a shared vision and working together to achieve common goals.

We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas and respond to others’ thinking. Hopefully, this will strengthen existing relationships and start many new ones. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sivia Braunstein
Chair

American Steering Committee

Yehoyakim Gavish

Co-Chair

Israeli Steering Committee (Arad)

Alison Lawton

Co-Chair
Israeli Steering Committee (Tamar)