From the Arava to Melbourne
Twelve Israeli students from the Acacia School in the small desert community in the Arava region have visited Melbourne for a ten-day visit as part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2GETHER (P2G) program.
At Bialik
P2G is the global living bridge project aimed at connecting Israeli communities with Diaspora communities. The student delegation arrived in Melbourne on 24 July and were hosted by the Arava Australia Partnership, the ZFA as well as Bialik College in Melbourne.
Whilst home hospitality was warmly provided by Bialik College families, the young delegates enjoyed a comprehensive program introducing them to the Melbourne Jewish community and to Australia in general. The program included meeting students from Bialik College, Leibler Yavneh College, The King David School and Mount Scopus Memorial College in an interschool program. A highlight was a session at C-Care, an organisation that provides much-needed food and social care for underprivileged Jewish people.
Three delegates
Arava Australia Partnership National Coordinator Stacy Hayman said: ‘Such partnerships are designed to allow for the development of personal relationships between Diaspora Jews and Israeli people and to be an educational tool in informing Jews about Israeli life, people and places, and to assist in sharing expertise regarding community-building and community development.”
The student exchange program also includes Australian students from Bialik College and the King David School. They will have the opportunity to spend time in the Arava region and stay with an Israeli family during their Year 10 Israel trips.
The Central Arava region was “adopted” by Australia as our partnership community in 1995. In addition to engagement of students, the Arava Australia Partnership projects include delegations both ways of
Since April 2014, the Arava Australia Partnership has run under the Zionist Federation of Australia. The Australia Arava Partnership has been exchanging delegations of various types, to help strengthen the bond, create personal relationships and allow for the development and enrichment of both communities’ cultures.
Ginette Searle, ZFA Executive Director said; – “We look forward to expanding the partnership activities across Australia with the Agri-Science delegation discussing how Israel helps feed the world then we welcome a Culinary Delegation from the Arava coming to Perth and Sydney in December 2015. What better way to connect people from across communities and culture than through food and innovation”
