Ten Bar/Bat Mitzvah age youths from Afula recently returned from spending two weeks with the JCC Summer Camp program in Springfield. This was a program supported by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

The ten children were chosen through the Education Department of the City of Afula to participate in this people-to-people initiative. The children worked with Dafna Harit and Rina Hadad in the Youth Department of the City of Afula to prepare for the experience of participating in an American Jewish Camping experience.

On July 24, 2004 the youths flew together with two adult chaperones, Rachel Amouyal and Haviv Peretz, both experienced educators, to Springfield.

During the first week the group participated in the travel camp of the JCC Camp together with children their age. One of the goals of this program was for the children from Afula and from Springfield to have a mutual experience connected with their Bar/Bat Mitzvah year. The second week the group was at Camp Getaway with children from Springfield. The children and chaperones were hosted by families in the Springfield area.

Looking at the children's faces as they came off the bus which brought them to Afula from the airport when they landed on August 9., 2004, one could be certain of the wonderful transforming time these youths had experienced. hey all had shinning smiles and bright smiling eyes.

We hope that the people-to-people connections which were made will be continued and that we will see more programs similar to this one take place between our Partnership 2000 communities and Afula-Gilboa.

  Elul 5764 - August 2004