In a visit that greatly strengthened the relationship between Nitzana and the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, a group of teenagers from Colorado visited the Youth Aliyah village for a Shabbat and long weekend from July 10th-13th. Shin Shinim volunteers, who are about to complete a "gap-year" of volunteer work between high school graduation and their army service, hosted the US visitors at Nitzana.

The American young adults were in Israel for a month (June 23rd to July 21st) within the framework of a mission organized by the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education. For most of the American Jewish visitors, this was their first time in Israel in general and at Nitzana in particular.

In total 26 teenagers, including both the Colorado visitors and the Israeli volunteers spent the weekend at Nitzana. They toured the Tel Nitzana region, spent time in the swimming pool and feasted at a night-time barbecue. In particular spending Shabbat together was a special bonding experience for the Jewish youth from the US and Israel. The social and personal encounter enabled the two groups of teenagers to rapidly form a meaningful connection that was so strong that it was difficult for them when the time came to say goodbye after just three days of knowing each other. The joint feeling by both sides and the word used to describe the three days together was "amazing."

Many of the participants and the program organizers - these types of missions have been taking place for 30 years - resolved that in the future these encounters would take a more structured form and would be integrated into a broader range of youth programs. For its part Nitzana is greatly looking forward to hosting more such groups from Colorado and strengthening the partnership between the two communities that such visits can only enhance.

Sivan 5761 - June 2001