By Yovel Biton, Netivot

I was asked to write an article about Mifgash, about how this experience affected me and my friends. Even before the program started, I knew the main goal of Mifgash was to create a bond between the Philadelphians and the teenagers from Netivot, Sedot Negev. This goal was achieved above and beyond everyone's expectations. Right way, the friendships between us began to form. Whether we were enjoying one of our trips, or simply singing together on the bus, there was always a sense of unity between us. Traveling together through the land of Israel helped us not only grow stronger as a family, but also as individuals. The Americans got a sense of appreciation for everything Israel has to offer to the Jewish community worldwide, while the Israelis' bond with Israel grew stronger.

Everyone agrees that this summer experience has been life changing. The friendships that have been made will never be broken. From my prospective This year's Mifgash group has been one of the strongest, as a group and each one of us individually. We faced many hard times during our journey, that come from two completely different places. Instead, it created a family. Now that Mifgash has ended, our family is not broken. We, as the Mifgash family of 2009, will keep our relationships strong. Even though we live halfway across the world from each other, we always have one thing that unites us, our Judaism. We are all Am Yisrael, we are all Achim, and we are all Mifgash 2009.

Love,

Yovel Biton, Netivot, Israel