Photos: Daniel Cohen
On Tuesday, December 11th, the Jewish Agency held its second annual National P2K Conference at Binenei Hauma in Jerusalem. This year, more than 200 lay leaders, P2K professionals and Mayors, representing the 45 partnerships of Partnership 2000 from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat joined together for a day of learning, sharing ideas, challenges and models of success; and empowering one another with the strength to continue building living bridges that span the globe.
Mr. Amram Mitzne, acting Chair of the Appointed Municipality Steering Committee of Yerucahm, was the keynote speaker at the opening plenary focusing his remarks on the extraordinary impact that P2K is having on Israeli Society through for example, building a cadre of civic leaders throughout the country, primarily in the priority regions of the Galil and Negev, as well as with our 550 partnered communities throughout the world. Mr. Mitzne, in addition to his many hats and affiliations, also represents one of our newest partnerships in the P2K family, Yerucham and Miami
The plenary session was followed by four simultaneous workshops; each focusing on different aspects of partnership 2000 and Israeli society.
The first workshop, focusing on P2K and the Business Sector was chaired by Mr. Eran Egay, the Director General of Sonomed and a member of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors Partnership Sub-committee. Ms. Talia Aahroni, the founder and President of MAALA spoke about the new trend of social responsibility and civic entrepreneurship being led in the Israeli business society and gave some concrete ideas about how P2K could be a partner in these new opportunities in our communities. The Yokneam/Meggido/Atlanta/St.Louis P2K partnership presented their Living Bridge for Business to Business as a model program on this topic.
The second workshop, focusing on P2K and Jewish Identity was chaired by Dr. Hila Hadas, the P2K co-chair of Modi'in /Rochester and invited Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz, the Director General of the Institute of Research Success to discuss the theory behind the new frameworks in Israeli society for connection and creation of a personal sense of Jewish Identity. The Confrontation Line/United Kingdom P2K Partnership presented Limud Galil, the winner of the 2006 P2K Model of Excellence Award as a model program in this arena.
The third workshop, focusing on the P2K and Civic Leadership was chaired by Dr. Matti Arkavi, the P2K co-chair of the Yoav/Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) partnership and invited Mr. Michael Miro, Journalist and Radio Personality of Kol Yisrael to discuss the development in Israeli society of civic and lay leadership. The Bet Shean/Cleveland P2K partnership presented Bonei Kehilla as a model program on this subject.
The fourth session, focusing on P2K and Follow up was chaired by Judge Rachel Barkai, the P2K co-chair of Kiryat Malachi/Hof Ashkelon/TIPS & Western Region and invited Ms. Ronit Dolev, a Founding Partner in Dolev/Shacham Company to discuss different options for follow up for the many thousands of P2K participants and lay leaders that filter through our doors throughout the years. In addition, Mr. Brian Schachter, the P2K co-chair of the Tornoto/Eilat/Eilot partnership who was in Israel attending the Jewish Agency Globes business to business initiative, shared his ideas and perspective on the issue.
Following the four morning workshops, conference participants took part in a large networking session based on 18 suggested areas of common interest including: Women's Empowerment, Strengthening P2K through Technology, Cutting Across Cultural Barriers, P2K and Co-Existence Programming, and Economic Development in the Periphery to name but a few.
Ms. Leah Golan, Director General of the Jewish Agency Israel Department and Mr. Moshe Vigdor, the Director General of the Jewish Agency closed the conference. Both Leah and Moshe echoed the importance of P2K as one of the most exciting and far reaching programs of the Jewish Agency with the added benefit of creating mutuality of impact. P2K is the foundation for the new generation of volunteers; both in Israel and around the world. P2K's new marketing tagline is" It's what YOU do that makes the difference." P2K is teaching us how!
More on Partnership 2000.
