East Fairfield Delegation at Achva School

The Eastern Fairfield County Federation mission visit to Afula-Gilboa, February 16, 17, 2004 was truly awesome. The mission included 70 people on two buses. Many of the people on this mission have visited with us in Afula-Gilboa before and were involved in hosting the Afula-Gilboa group of Teen Victims of Terror in Fairfield County in the summer of 2003. It gives us special pleasure when we have the opportunity to visit again with the same people and deepen our connection and sense of friendship and family. The warmth and kinship generated through these people was immeasurable.

The group spent two intensive days in the Afula-Gilboa region, which were made even more challenging by the fact that on the first day of their visit the people came to the region directly from having landed at Ben Gurion airport at 8:00 AM.

The visit began at the Security Fence along the Seam Line in the Gilboa Region with an explanation from Amos Dotan.

The group then split. One bus went to Ha'Emek Medical Center for a visit and the other bus went to the Absorption Center for Ethiopian Immigrants where the people of Fairfield County contributed a large supply of bedding and towels for the new immigrants. Alicka, Director of the Center was very grateful to receive the new abundant supply, which will help her to meet the needs of the families living at the absorption center.

All of the people on the mission joined together for home hospitality on Moshav Moledet.

This was a lovely time that enabled the participants from Fairfield to get to know a bit the people on Moledet. The Young Emissaries, Liran and Gili who are in Fairfield County are from Moledet. It seems that their presence has served to develop a special feeling on the part of the Jewish Community for the people of Moledet.

There was a Gala Dinner at which old and new friends could meet. Special honorered guests included the group of teens who had been hosted by the Fairfield Jewish Community during the summer of 2003. Everyone was happy to meet and all shared warm hugs.

The people of Fairfield County distributed Tzedakah to needy organizations and institutions in Afula-Gilboa: WIZO Community Center; Sarah Herzog Children's Home; Emek Harod School; Beit Eshkol Community Center, Enosh (the organization in Afula for the emotionally handicapped); Beit Uri and Ha'Emek Medical Center.

The Tzedakah which was given by the Fairfield group was invaluable and done in a remarkable way. The desire to help various institutions and projects in the area is wonderful. Each donation went to a very worthy cause. Each organization appreciated the gift and will use it well.

The special donation this time was given to fill a real need of the Afula Community: There is a Afula Illit neighborhood who are at risk. These boys are street kids and the Community Center in their neighborhood, Beit Eshkol, under the direction of Henia Eytan, wanted very much to be able to organize the group of boys into an informal educational setting in the afternoon hours with a professional youth worker. This type of framework will help keep these boys from remaining on the fringes of the social structure and will help to empower them individually and as a group. A contribution was needed which could support the salary of the Youth Worker. The Fairfield group took the initiative upon themselves and the responsibility for contributing to enable this project to take place, creating a Tikkun Olam project which saves teens.

It is nice when a community takes a specific project and makes it theirs. This was also true when the Fairfield Jewish Community brought the group of teens who had been direct victims of terrorist attacks in Afula and Gilboa to their community during the summer of 2003. This group of teens have been meeting together in a supportive and learning group framework under the direction of Rina Hadad, Director of the Afula Youth Department. This program came into being as a result of the trip to Fairfield Jewish Community last summer. On the second day of their visit to Afula-Gilboa, the people from Fairfield County visited the Achva ORT Comprehensive School in Naura and the Emek Harod Amal Comprehensive School.

At both school the mission participants had an opportunity to hear about the Israel Arab Education and the Jewish education in the Gilboa Region and the intereaction between the student body of the two schools which has occurred through the Co-Existence project a Partnership 2000 program which SNEC has support in Afula-Gilboa since 1995. The mission then visited the newly completed Memorial Hall and Center for Performing Arts in Afula. This was a moving visit in which our friends could pay respect to the fallen sons of Afula.

Then the group parted for a stop at the Air Force Base nearby on Ramat David.

We all felt the visit was wonderful, and as usual too short.

We are all deeply appreciative and grateful that we have such a special Partnership. We felt heartened by the sheer number of people who came. The interest, caring and generosity shown by each and every person in the group was overwhelming.

  Adar 5764 - March 2004