By Simon Griver

Savannah Williams has been writing to Rotem Ben Shlush and Shahar Ilovich for the past six months via email and Facebook. In June, the 12 year-old from Atlanta finally got to meet her two pen pals face-to-face, during her batmitzvah vacation in Israel, when she visited their homes in Yokneam-Megiddo.

Savannah Williams said, “I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful Rotem and Shahar were. I also mean beautiful because they were so warm, friendly and welcoming. I now hope they will visit me in the US. They are welcome to stay with us in our home.”

Atlanta along with Saint Louis has been twinned with Yokneam-Megiddo within the framework of the Jewish Agency’s Partnership 2000 (P2K) since the mid-1990s. The pen pal connection between Savannah, Rotem and Shahar was made by Vera Katzevich, Head of the English Department at the Oranim School in Yokneam. Katzevich is also Director of P2K’s Noar Le Noar (Youth-to-Youth) program, which connects barmitzvah teens in the US and Israel. She explains that the pen-pals program is an important way of bringing Jews around the world together.

Vera said, “The pen pals program has been working successfully for many years between Yokneam-Megiddo and Saint Louis. This year we also were approached by Atlanta who were looking for a pen pal for Savannah. It worked out very well because Rotem and Shahar were very much interested to have an American partner to write to.”

Savannah Williams, who was in Israel with her parents Randi and Mitchell and younger brother Ross, celebrated her batmitzvah in Jerusalem before returning to Atlanta.

Randi Williams said, “Being in Yokneam-Megiddo was one of the highlights of the trip after the batmitzvah itself. This was the first time we had ever been to Israel and the country was much more beautiful than we had ever imagined.”

She added, “We were hosted so warmly in Yokneam-Megiddo by both families and were taken for a delightful tour of the area, including a nearby Druze village. The girls all got along so well. It was amazing how much they had in common and they had so much to say to each other.”

Arkady Hasidovich, Regional Coordinator for P2K Yokneam/Megiddo said, “It is remarkable how such a simple idea like a pen pal relationship, which today in the age of email is so simple and swift, can be so effective in bringing together young Jews from around the world.”

Rotem Ben Shlush, 12, was no less thrilled than Savannah at the encounter. “I never believed that one day we would actually get to meet,” she said. “We had so much in common not only being Jewish but we also like the same TV programs and movies.”

Ayelet Ilovich whose daughter Shahar has also been emailing Savannah Williams hosted the Williams for lunch in Yokneam. She said, “There was an immediate click between the families. It wasn’t only Shahar and Savannah that got along so well Ross was also having a good time with my younger children Rotem and Lior.

Shahar Ilovich said, “Since Savannah was here our relationship has got even stronger and we are emailing each other more frequently.”

Judy Yuda, the Jewish Agency’s Yokneam/Megiddo P2K Regional Manager said, “It is so vital that we work to bring young Jews together from the US and Israel before it is too late. We cannot take for granted that future generations will share a sense of Jewish peoplehood and it is a shame not to take advantage of such easily implemented program as the Noar Le Noar pen pals connection.”