In an emotional ceremony on November 14, with a violinist playing "Carry Me Back to Old Virginee", Virginia Governor George Allen and Beit Shemesh Mayor Daniel Vaknin dedicated Virginia Avenue, connecting Beit Shemesh to its new industrial park. The Governor and the Mayor spoke glowingly of their hopes that the new relationship would greatly benefit both areas.

Avshalom Tzadok, Director of the Department for Rural and Urban Development Center Region, said that the Department was happy to have served as "midwife" for this potential new dimension of Partnership 2000 in Beit Shemesh, and stood ready to continue promoting this relationship.

The visit and ceremony marked the first major milestone in a process that started a year ago. At that time, the Washington DC Jewish Federation (which embraces adjacent suburbs in Virginia) suggested to Jac Friedgut, Partnership 2000's Business Promotion Liaison, that including Beit Shemesh in the contemplated Israel visit by Governor Allen and a delegation of business and community leaders could open the way for Virginia to constitute an important broadening of Washington' Partnership with Beit Shemesh-Adulam. The idea was extended to Mayor Vaknin, who extended the invitation to the Governor. Now, it looks like Beit Shemesh and Virginia will really be traveling down the same road (or Avenue) together.