At the start of the afternoon, they were just a group of 30 teenagers from Russia, Ethiopia, Israel and America, representing all religious streams of Judaism. But by the end of their summer together, they had become ambassadors for unity. Twenty Netivot-Azata teens spent three intensive weeks in Philadelphia, learning to identify with their ten new colleagues from the Liberty Bell City.

The program itinerary included brightening up the day for senior adults, passionate discussions about Jewish and life issues, educational seminars, trips to shopping malls and to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and visits to several summer camps and synagogues.

"The real objective is to be able to say that all of Israel are brothers and sisters," noted Professor Ed Newman, chairman of the Partnership 2000 Regional Steering Committee's education component. "We are an extended family, even if we are different."

Meir Charash, the representative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia in Israel attributed much of the success of Partnership 2000 in Netivot-Azzata to the commitment of the local authorities. "Both Yehiel Zohar, mayor of Netivot, and Meir Yifrach, head of the Azata Regional Council, have been a key ingredient in the successful development of this relationship," he said.