In May, I had the distinct pleasure of spending 10 days in our Partnership 2000 communities of Beit Shemesh and Adulum, seeing our sponsored projects in action, and meeting with the dedicated individuals who make the Partnership so very successful! Our communities are very special in that they reflect the many strands and strains of Israeli society - - secular, Orthodox, rich, poor, Anglo, Russian, Ethiopian, sabra, urban, and rural. But what unites us all, is our commitment to work together in making Israel and the Diaspora better, safer, happier, and healthier places to live as Jews.

The occasion of my visit was the steering committee meeting during which representatives from Washington, South Africa, Beit Shemesh, and Adulam determined those new ideas we believed to be candidates for full project proposals to be discussed at the November allocations session. I also spent significant time visiting on-going projects - - actually sitting in on these projects in order to develop a true understanding of their impact on our communities. For instance, we visited a remote moshav and the student volunteer who ran an after-school tutoring program for the children who had little access to assistance, computers, or supplies. At the elementary schools we participated in a program to prevent kids from becoming bullies and another effort to educate children in the critical and creative thinking necessary for future employment in industry. We spent a morning observing a program where students in one school teach computers to other children from another school, who are then expected to train their younger classmates. Not only is this a successful way for the kids to learn, but because the participating schools are so religiously, politically, and economically diverse, children who would never interact learn to work together and respect each other's differences. At the dental clinic for the elderly poor we fund, we met with the dentist, the dental hygienist, and a patient who could never have afforded such services. We also understood the delight exhibited by the nursery schoolers as they received new toothbrushes and toothpaste in conjunction with a Partnership program of preventative dental care. Graduates of our young leadership activity now run a volunteer network matching expertise and needs throughout the area.

The Partnership 2000 program focuses on initiatives in the areas of education, community, and building bridges between Israel, Washington, and South Africa. The other articles in this newsletter provide a wide ranging overview of the broad impact Partnership 2000 has had on all the participants. What make Partnership 2000 so critical and so successful are the benefits to all the communities, including those in the Diaspora. The connections we have made as professionals in our fields, and the success of the programs in Israel, can be brought home to Washington to help meet our local needs. Our children learn how to be tolerant and how to engender tolerance in others. Our ideas of how to make the world a better place can be put into action. And best of all, we can learn how to develop true and lasting friendships across many miles and many differences. Our Washington community should be extremely proud of the meaningful, powerful, and successful work we support through Partnership 2000!

For those who have participated in our committee in the past, I want to thank you for all your hard work - - it really shows in the excellent programs we have established. For those of you who have visited Beit Shemesh/Adulam or have met the fine representatives from these areas, please consider joining us in our deliberations as we continue to expand the benefits engendered by our Partnership. And for everyone, please join us as we go back to Israel in November to allocate our funding for 2002; there is no substitute for seeing with your own eyes all the wonderful things that have been accomplished because Partnership 2000 was there to help a good idea grow!

Av 5761 - August 2001