The Leadership Development program between Afula-Gilboa-SNEC is also gaining momentum. "This program which began as a pilot program between Rhode Island and Afula-Gilboa," related Steve Rakitt, Executive Vice President of the Rhode Island Jewish Federation, "has now expanded to other communities in SNEC. Hartford will be sending a young leadership group to Israel in November and several other federations are considering staring groups."

Moreover, Dr. David Mittleberg, chairman of the Leadership Development program in Afula-Gilboa stressed that the project has already achieved important objectives in the Afula-Gilboa region itself.

"We have brought together people from rural Gilboa and urban Afula in our group of 17 committed people," he observed. "This is a major accomplishment in itself. We have developed a lateral physical relationship between Afula and Gilboa and deepened the metaphysical relationship between our region and South New England. We are now trying to involve more people. We want people from all walks of life. We want wider circles of involvement."

  November 1998