On the eve of the 60th Yom HaAtzma'ut of Medinat Israel, our delegation of eight pupils and eight parents set out for an encounter between our twinned primary schools: the "Nof Galil" Primary School in the Merom Hagalil Regional Council and the North Cheshire Jewish Primary School in Manchester.

Even before our departure, during our preparation together as a group here in Israel, we asked ourselves many questions. What is the real purpose of our trip? Are the Jewish people there like the British as we see them on television and in the cinema? What do they know about Israel? Are they aware of the reality in which we live our day to day lives?

Our hopes were high….

Unfortunately this page is too small to convey all the experiences we had during this week; however, I do want to say that, as an Israeli who has lived here in Israel for 41 years and is raising her children here, with no doubts about why I am here and not in any other place on the globe, I was so impressed by the wonderful people in the Jewish community in Manchester who hosted and welcomed us, who opened their hearts and their homes to us, who, although they live a normal life there, just like each one of us, yet they live and breathe Israel and Israel is very close to their hearts.

We commemorated the Yom HaZicharon ceremony together, feeling the pain of our loss - that is also their pain.
We celebrated the Yom HaAtzmaut celebrations together with them - and our joy was their joy.
We prayed together side by side on Shabbat - and our Judaism is their Judaism.

For us as Israelis, to be Israeli and to be a Jew in Israel is a thing to be taken for granted, whereas they do all they can and all that is possible in order to "feel" and identify with Israel. From their point of view nothing is to be taken for granted, as it is sometimes with us.

I am full of hope that the generation of children with whom we met - and who together with us were moved and joyful, devouring each piece of information, and celebrating together with Israeli singing and dancing - will carry these memories in their hearts, so that they also will pass on to their children their love for and connection to Israel, as their parents have done and continue to do with them.

And I hope that we as Israelis will continue to keep this bond with them and teach our children that our home is here in Israel, but for whatever reason that they are there and we are here, they are still a part of us and as they love us from there, so we love them.

Orly Sin Golda
Kibbutz Faroud