Dear friends,

It's no secret that the Federation movement is made up of organizations, institutions, and programs that resemble the alphabet soup. We hope you will add this ingredient to your list of well known letters…P 2K. These initials stand for PARTERSHIP 2000, a marvelous program that began just a few years ago.

Today, more than ever we need to create the opportunities for Israelis and American Jews to come together. The word in Hebrew for such an encounter or coming together is mifgash.

Mifgashim have developed into the most important part of P 2K. Every time communities bring together Israeli and Diaspora Jews for a meaningful encounter, we are building the connections and relationships that assure our shared Jewish future. We can all say, "We need each other," in some abstract, theoretical sense, but mifgashim let us know why we need each other and how very meaningful such encounters can be. They develop and strengthen Jewish identity, commitment, and people hood…on both sides of the ocean.

People-to-people programs allow for the establishment of lasting ties between the communities in the partnership and the creation of personal, individual connections in Israel…and that's the truth! This summer we brought Or Akiva's Chocolate Dance Group to Miami. This is an incredible troupe of teenage girls, mainly comprised of the daughters of olim from the former Soviet Union, who gave several thrilling performances in the Miami area. Or Akiva has been our sister city for many years and we feel a deep kinship with the people who live there.

And now we offer you the opportunity to do something extraordinary! On November 16, 2003, the First Ever International Gathering of P 2K will be held in Israel. This awesome day will precede the General Assembly by one day; and will bring together representatives (both Diaspora and Israeli) of all the P 2K communities, for an incredible day of sharing and comparing.

If you'd like to be a part of this significant program, there's no better way to start than to call the Federation and ask for Michael Winograd. We truly invite you to join us for this exciting and monumental experience.

Morris & Mikki Futernick
Greater Miami Jewish Federation, P2K Chairmen

Elul 5763 - September 2003