Dr. Haim Straze leads the Leadership Development Program in Arad-Tamar (photo by Douglas Guthrie)

Partnership 2000 is igniting in Israel the spirit of volunteerism, lay leadership and community support that is the life-blood of US Jewish life. Civic leaders in five Israeli communities have been attending workshops designed to improve their negotiating skills, enhance their knowledge of public organizations and Diaspora communities, and help them garner responsiveness from elected officials.

Dr. Haim Straze spent 12 days last month heading a five-person delegation from Arad-Tamar to their partners in New Jersey-Delaware. Other members of the Israeli delegation were Bertha Pistrov, Rachel Koll, Iris Kozlovich and Rafi Ayalon. They met and stayed with their US counterparts including Delaware co-chair in education Toni Young.

For Dr. Straze this was the second such visit to the US this year. "The intensity, involvement and commitment in American Jewish communities is truly remarkable to see," he observed. "The fact that we were hosted with great warmth and hospitality goes without saying."

Bertha Pistrov, a teacher at an Arad elementary school, was impressed by the organization of the communities. "We saw synagogues, schools and Sunday schools," she recalled. "The volume of voluntary work that is put in is incredible. The leadership there is very well organized and supportive."

Following her visit Pistrov intends implementing a pen-pal program between schools in Arad and New Jersey/Delaware.

The Leadership Development program has been operating in Arad/Tamar for nearly a year now. A group of around 25 deeply committed local lay leaders has been formed and attempts are being made to expand the number of participants.

"The dramatic dimension to the development of such lay leadership," explained Arik Fialco, the director of Partnership 2000 in Arad/Tamar and Dimona/Yerucham, "is that such leaders will provide an additional alternative to the politically oriented municipal leaders who currently lead the way in Partnership 2000. The municipalities are doing a wonderful job but civic leadership will further enhance ties between Israel and Diaspora communities and increase the belief and confidence between partners."

Dr. Straze notes that members of the Arad/Tamar group already sit on four Partnership 2000 sub-committees - Tourism, Regional Development, Living Bridge and Community Education - alongside municipal and Jewish Agency officials. Indeed Dr. Straze chairs the Community Education committee.

These volunteers also bring a great deal of professionalism to the committees. Tamir Tal, for example, who sits on the Tourism Development Committee, is Human Resources Manager at the Dead Sea Holiday Inn.

The Arad-Tamar civic leaders were looking to forward to meetings with their US counterparts during the GA meeting in Israel in November.