JCC St. Louis and Temple Atlanta Family Missions Visit Yokneam- Megiddo
(Story reprinted with permission from Partnership2Gether. See original story here.)
Bernice Malka, Living Bridge Coordinator
Working together at Oranim school in Yokneam
June 2013 was a busy month for our partnership! More than a hundred people visited the region as part of their family mission to Israel. Nine families from St. Louis spent a whole day in the region, which started in the fields of Moshav Nahalal picking kohlrabi with Leket Israel. At the Oranim elementary school in Yokneam the families were greeted by students who worked with their guests from St. Louis in planting herbs and creating a mosaic on a big dinosaur in the school yard, made of recycled materials. The parents were assigned to the open stove to cook the pita bread that the kids made and then a spontaneous soccer game took place between the Yokneam and St. Louis kids. Lunch at Kibbutz Dalia was followed by a short visit to the kibbutz museum for the parents while the kids met their kibbutz peers and then went on a hike in the fields around the kibbutz. After celebrating a birthday for one of the kids with an Israeli traditional home made chocolate cake it was time to freshen up and get ready for home hospitality. The families from Yokneam and St. Louis had been in touch via emails and Facebook prior to their visit to Israel so the meeting between locals and visitors was truly like having old family members over for dinner.
Jaffe family from St.Louis with the Hamama family in Yokneam
Participants from St. Louis wrote ” The evening we spent with our host family in Yokneam allowed us to create an immediate friendship with an Israeli family just like ours. It took just minutes for the children to begin playing board and computer games, even with the younger kids who did not speak English. We enjoyed a wonderfully cooked meal at their home and just spent several hours talking about lives and careers in the United States and Israel”.
“Our family just experienced the trip of a lifetime to Israel. It was important for us that our kid’s first trip to Israel included not only the many historical and beautiful sites but also provided the opportunity to build friendships with families that will have a positive impact for many years.”
Welcomed by the Hadassim School String Orchestra
Learning To Dance Ethiopian Style
After a couple of dances and some more personal stories, chairs were moved aside and we all got in to the groove! Every one got on their feet dancing Ethiopian Zumba together with the young dancers. A lot of fun and some very talented dancers were spotted in the Atlanta group. The last stop before continuing to the sea of galilee was at Tel Yokneam where the young generation learned that Yokneam has been here from Bible times.
“Every other year we bring a very large group of our congregants to Israel” Says Rabbi Berg “We always make it a point to include a significant time in Yokneam Megiddo, because it is always a highlight for us.” This year”, continues Rabbi Berg ” has been wonderful and it once again gives us a feeling of family coming home”.
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon.