Issue 7


			From the Desk of Alan Hoffmann This month, we welcome home all of our shlichim who have been serving abroad, in particular the young shlichim. To these communities, they have been the face and heart of Israel and of The Jewish Agency, motivating youth and adults to learn about issues affecting other Jews in Israel and around the world, and acting as a catalyst for communities to develop their own educational programs, new institutions, and most of all, their young leadership. At the same time, we wish our Summer Camp Shlichim Bon Voyage as they head off to volunteer around the world. Alan Hoffmann is Director General of The Jewish Agency for Israel. Click here to read the rest of his message.



			Beyond the Headlines: Jewish Unity in Beit Shemesh The religious tensions in Beit Shemesh, which captured international headlines last winter, led to a distorted perception of an Israeli community in strife. The Jewish Agency - along with the Jewish communities of Greater Washington and South Africa - is helping social activist Miri Shalem reshape the narrative.



	Photo credit: David Karp		Eighteen and Making a Difference Over the course of 13 years, the Southern New England Consortium of Partnership 2Gether communities has hosted nearly 200 young emissaries (shlichim), 18-year-olds who have postponed IDF service for a year and left legacies of friendship and inspiration in Jewish communities throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.



	Photo credit: Gavin Rabinowitz		A Lifeline for Jewish Education in Athens As the situation in Greece continues to deteriorate, the hugely successful Jewish school in Athens, which educates some 70 percent of the city's Jewish children, finds itself in dire straits. A portion of the $1 million, two-year grant The Jewish Agency has committed to Greek Jewry, including money already given, will help the community continue to provide subsidies that drove the school's tremendous growth, prior to the economic collapse.



	In the News Jewish Week published a photo of the The Jewish Agency's Celebrate Israel float and marchers The New York Times quoted Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency, recalling his participation in Operation Solomon Jewish Week discussed The Jewish Agency's role in supporting Reform Judaism in Israel and quoted a statement from Mr. Sharansky, which he issued after the Government of Israel's decision to officially recognize reform and conservative rabbis. In a JUF Chicago interview, Genia Kovelman, Program Director of JUF's Russian Hillel and Russian Jewish Leadership Forum, referred to her involvement in a youth choir at a Jewish Agency cultural center in Ukraine as a turning point in discovering her Jewish identity. In a feature article, The New York Times featured The Jewish Agency's role as a sponsor of the Bible Quiz held at Yeshiva University The Jewish Journal of South Florida featured a Partnership2Gether delegation of chefs from Israel, who gave cooking courses throughout Palm Beach County To view The Jewish Agency's complete press archive, click here.