Ten Kansas City Jewish teenagers plus Israeli Emissary Nissan Gez were in Israel July 11 through 22 as part of the first ever community mifgash (encounter) in Israel.

The group was joined by its other chaperone, Alexis Hallman, youth director at Congregation B'nai Jehudah.

The teens, all students entering 10th grade, were selected last fall after being nominated by their congregations for the trip.

The teens and chaperones met monthly to prepare for the trip and even designed their own T-shirts to mark the journey.

The teens have returned safely to Kansas City and are busy talking about the great experience they had in Israel!

The mifgash was part of the community's Partnership 2000 program, working to create one-on-one personal relationships with Israelis.

The Federation partners with the Jewish Agency for Israel with the program. Stacey Belzer serves as the local chair for the mifgash.

The Kansas City participants stayed with Israeli teens and their families who live in and around our partnership communities of Ramla and the Gezer Region.

The teens traveled all over Israel with their Israeli counterparts, spending time in Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv and the partner communities.

They visited sites including Masada, the Dead Sea, the Kotel and a Bedouin community.

Next summer, the Israeli teens will travel to Kansas City and stay with local mifgash families.