Decisions, meetings, project cards, annual campaign, community needs, politics, sub committees...ohhh.

"From so many trees we can't see the forest" that's a saying in Hebrew I am not sure how much it works in English but you got the point that basically means, with this endless job sometimes we ask ourselves: "is it worth it?" all of us sacrificing a lot of work hours, quality time with our families, night out with friends or even our favorite TV show.

Well, it is really worth a world of good, and let me share some personal thoughts with you that will emphasize the essence of Partnership 2000.

Two weeks ago, seven families gathered from the different respective communities around New Jersey and Delaware, in Cherry Hill for an orientation to the Kefiada program. Kefiada is a program where the partnership sends their best representatives to be in an Israeli English teaching summer camp, the counselors teach and interact with the community, making the people to people connections in real life. At the orientation, we welcomed these fresh, brand new families to the P2k family where I told them about our amazing region, the projects, and how they are going to be their communities' ambassadors, the technical parts of their staying and how to get the best out of it and follow up and enrich the communities back at home. This all is really great but it's even more than that - like we are a living bridge which has two-way traffic: while the counselors are going to Arad, we have young, ideological Zionist Aradnicks who go to be Israeli culture camp counselors to teach, engage and connect to our communities in the Diaspora.

That is partnership! If you don't believe me, here is a live example: I've been asked constantly how come my English is so good? And I answer "from school!" Then I remembered that I, "little Idan", was one of the first campers of kefiada and that really helped me develop my English. I just had my birthday but this happened ten years ago, fast forward to the summer of 2004...I am going to represent Israel and Arad for the first time for the partnership(and for me)in Cherry Hill as a camp counselor, I would never imagine how so few can effect so many and so much.

One of the memorable connections I had was with a Jewish teen ,13, at camp who wasn't really into his "Jewishness", but meeting us, hearing about Arad and Israel, he felt something special that he never felt before. In about a month, that teen is going to have his Bar mitzvah and he is applying to an aliyah program in Israel.

A year later I am coordinating the kefiada program in Israel, making friends for life, and through that experience one of the participants stayed and is still in Israel, another one is going on this program again this year and a third went back to Israel twice since than.

A month after that I left to my shlichut in Delaware and southern New Jersey, and about this I can write a whole book but this is not why we are here today. I really don't know why this all worked out for me and for other people, I just know that it didn't happen by itself and there are a whole bunch of devoted volunteers and professionals from both sides of the ocean who make this magic happen all for one cause and reason - our beloved, beautiful Israel.

Now we are rejuvenated with inspiring reasons why we have to keep up the good job and also turn to your friends (or in a technological way - email) and thank one another.

Need a fast good thought: "Zack is having his bar mitzvah in about a month, Stephanie is eating Falafel at the town center in Arad, and Eyal will know how to say "how are you?" in English. 

For more pictures, response, or anything else do not hesitate to reach me at:
idan@jfedsnj.org