By Simon Griver
Seventeen young students from St Louis who are studying in Israel this year celebrated the Shabbat before Hanukkah (December 8-9) in their Partnership 2000 community in Yokneam.
For 19 year-old Rena Garbow from University City in St. Louis who is in her second year of religious studies at the Bayit VeGan College in Jerusalem, this was the second time she had spent such a Shabbaton in Yokneam.
“The people there are so warm and welcoming,” she says. “They keep stressing that because we are from St. Louis we should consider Yokneam to be our second home. They really go so far out of their way to host us.”
Yokneam-Megiddo has recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its relationship with the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta within the framework of the Jewish Agency’s Partnership 2000 program. While the partnership has done much to transform the city from a struggling disadvantaged town into a thriving high-tech center by developing Yokneam’s education system, nurturing people-to-people connections has been no less important.
The idea of St.Louis students based in Israel visiting Yokneam for Sabbath celebrations was conceived in November 2005 when Rabbi Noam Dekel, the Deputy Chief Rabbi of Yokneam, and Hanan Caspi, Director of Partnership 2000’s Regional Development Unit, spent a week in St. Louis as guests of the Jewish Community there.
“Partnership 2000 focuses on economic assistance and people-to-people connections,” explains Caspi. “But we must not forget that as well as peoplehood, there is a shared spirituality that binds us Jews together.”
The first St. Louis-Yokneam Shabbaton was held in March 2006 when 18 American students came to the northern town led by Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld, who was then rabbi of the Young Israel synagogue in St.Louis. But in December for this second Shabbaton Rabbi Bienenfeld led the St.Louis delegation to Yokneam, having made aliyah in the summer with his wife Yocheved.
“It is the extraordinary warmth of the people of Yokneam,” says Rabbi Bienenfeld, “which is typical of all Israelis, which is one of the factors that persuaded us to immigrate to Israel. The people in Yokneam cannot do enough for us and their concern is so sincere and genuine. It’s comforting to know as we build new lives here that we have so many friends in Yokneam.”
Rabbi Bienenfeld was hosted by Yokneam’s Chief Rabbi Michael Vaaknin. Before Shabbat Rabbi Vaaknin together with Yokneam’s Mayor Shimon Alfassi and Charlie Buchbut, Head of the Yokneam Religious Council greeted the entire St. Louis delegation. After Shabbat prayers together, local families hosted the St. Louis visitors for Leil Shabbat Friday night dinner.
Menashe and Tova Maeuda were among the Yokneam families who personally hosted the American visitors. “It was a pleasure to see the close connection that these young people from St. Louis have with Israel,” observes Menashe Maeuda. “I think that with assimilation always threatening American Jewry then a close connection with Israel is the most important way of strengthening a person’s Jewish identity”
Arkady Hasidovich, the Jewish Agency’s Yokneam-Megiddo Living Bridge Coordinator, emphasizes the importance of religious ritual in bringing St. Louis and Yokneam-Megiddo together. “Spending Shabbat together reminds us all that we share the same religious and cultural heritage,” he remarks.
On Shabbat the local community and St. Louis visitors had lunch together at the Minyan Tzairei Synagogue hall after prayers and when Shabbat went out there were joint celebrations at the Habad Center.
“These Shabbatons also provide a great opportunity for all us students in Israel from St. Louis to meet each other,” stresses Garbow. “We rarely get an opportunity to all be together. And togetherness is what it’s all about. The togetherness of the Yokneam community was very touching. Despite their diversity they are very united”.