We would like to send our heartfelt congratulations to Jack Smorgon AO on receiving the position of Chair of the Jewish Agency's Activism and Partnership Committee. We in the Arava have had the privilege of knowing Jack for many years now, and as the second of three Co-Chairs of the Arava-Australia Partnership he came to know all of the ins and outs of our Partnership as well as all of the nooks and crannies of the Arava region.

Jack has spent many long hours touring the region from north to south and has done more than his share to personally promote the tourism operators of the Arava by staying in the region so often! Always polite and attentive, he has endured long hours of various meetings in the region, listening to discussions that have become heated more often than not, and then stepping in at the end and giving us the benefit of his vast and multidimensional experience on diverse subjects ranging from education to budget management to tourism.

His involvement has not of course been limited to visits to the region, but has continued in meetings and conferences from Melbourne, and in meetings with members of delegations from the Arava, both adults and students. And all this while also presiding as the President of UIA Australia!
Our ties with Jack have continued since the Partnership Chair was taken on by Ron Finkel, and he has continued to give us invaluable help as the Co-Chair of JAFI's Israel Committee, as well as continuing to visit the Arava and promote the Partnership.
We know that we will see him again in the region often, and just want to say: thank you and kol hakavod!

With Arava volunteer activist Evelyn Biton and Ron Finkel during the 2008 Arava activists' delegation to Australia