Visitors from the desert
MELBOURNE’S Jewish schools recently welcomed 12 visiting Israeli students from the Acacia School, which is located in the small desert community in the Arava region, as part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2Gether (P2G) program.
MELBOURNE’S Jewish schools recently welcomed 12 visiting Israeli students from the Acacia School, which is located in the small desert community in the Arava region, as part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2Gether (P2G) program.
Hosted by the Arava Australia Partnership and the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), the young Israelis had the opportunity to immerse themselves in Jewish Melbourne culture while experiencing life at a Jewish school.
Billeted with Bialik College families, the visiting Israelis also mingled with students from Leibler Yavneh College, the King David School (KDS) and Mount Scopus Memorial College, before volunteering with C Care to provide food to underprivileged members of the community.
The P2G initiative is designed to foster lasting relationships between the Israeli and Diaspora communities and to highlight that, despite their differences, the students are part of a global Jewish network.
Explaining the benefits of the program, Arava Australia Partnership’s 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 P2G program will also see KDS and Bialik students visit the Arava region, stay with an Israeli family and reconnect with these Israeli students during their year 10 Israel trips this year.
Beyond engagement of students, the Arava Australia Partnership is dedicated to exchanging delegations of various types, including culinary, agriculture, science, the arts and education.
Discussing the purpose of these programs and delegations, ZFA’s executive director Ginette Searle said it helps strengthen the bond between Israel and Australia, and enriches both communities’ culture.
She added, “What better way to connect people from across communities and culture than through food and innovation.”
ZOE KRON
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