A group of 16 youngsters from Beit Shemesh/Adulam arrived back in Israel on Sunday morning. They were accompanied by two madrichot - Tamar Vaknin who is a participant in our Student Leadership Scholarship Programme and Eleanor Abraham, who is a graduate of the Ambassadors for Tolerance programme and was on the very first mission to Washington when we began the project four years ago. Eleanor today is a law student.

The feedback from Johannesburg and Cape Town, where the group was hosted by families of South African Ambassadors, is glowing. The pupils presented themselves most admirably and addressed Assemblies at the King David Linksfield and Victory Park High Schools with confidence and in good English, bringing a message of the importance of the programme and what they gained and what they intend to do as volunteers in their community on their return to Israel.

The programme was run by shlichim and madrichim from Habonim and other youth movements, teachers and parents. The staff of the IUA offices in Johannesburg and in Cape Town had the task of coordinating the entire operation. The pupils met with the IUA Leadership in both cities made presentations of gifts to the chairperson of P2K and the IUA in appreciation. They were indeed excellent Ambassadors for their communities, parents, schools and Israel and will no doubt have a better understanding of other views and opinions. They certainly learned about the Diaspora Communities that are doing so much to enhance their region.

Av 5760 - August 2000