"We want to make the connection
between our children in English class
and your Sunday school," said Aviram
at dinner.
"Our children want to do it."
Said Bloch, "I definitely will push
for that connection to go forward."

Going Home

,Since Bloch left Nazareth Illit for the
U.S. in 1989, the city has more than
doubled in size with a flood of Russian
immigration. Industry has also
increased, but relations with local
Arabs have soured.
The Israeli Arab city of Nazareth,
adjacent to Nazareth Illit, is the biblical
hometown of Jesus — but now has
twice as many Muslims than Christians.
It was the scene of strife in October
2000, at the beginning of the latest
Palestinian intifada (uprising). Three
Arabs from Nazareth were killed in a
disturbance at the intersection of the
two cities. Since then, a cold distrust
and segregation have befallen the area.
In addition, on Oct. 4, an Arab sui-
cide terrorist from the West Bank, dis-
guised as an Israeli soldier, opened fire

the 24 Detroiters on a bus tour of
Nazareth Illit, which has one of three
Holocaust museums in Israel.
"The big wave of immigrants came
in the 1990s from the former Soviet
Union," she said. "We doubled the
size of the population. At the begin-
ning of the 1990s we were 24,000,
today we are at 51,000.
"When walking the streets, you
almost need the Russian language
because almost every second person is
speaking Russian."
Rodrig has recently traveled to
Buenos Aires in search of Jewish
immigrants. So far, 90 Argentinean
families have answered Nazareth Illit's
invitation to immigrate.

Aiding Ethiopian Children

Before leaving the region, the Detroiters
visited the ancient synagogue excavation
at Zippori. Then they headed for
Netanya, on Israel's Mediterranean coast
between Tel Aviv and Haifa.
In Netanya, Federation has joined
with the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee in a JDC pro-
gram to aid Ethiopian-Israeli children.

University of Michigan graduate.
"To come from Ethiopia to an
advanced society like Israel, the chil-
dren have language problems and
don't have the skills when entering
school," he said.
"We seek to get each and every one
involved with after-school activities
and also work to improve their par-
ents' Hebrew and literacy. We will also
sensitize local professionals about
Ethiopian culture.
"This is a unique, comprehensive
holistic approach between the child,
parent and community," he said.
Members of the Netanya Ethiopian
community served the Detroiters tra-
ditional Ethiopian coffee with cake-
like bread during their visit to the
community center where the kids and
their moms were lighting Chanukah
candles and singing Chanukah songs.
Lior Student of the JDC, noting that
Israel was retaliating that day for Arab
terrorist attacks, said, "Israel may be
fighting a battle in the Gaza or Ramalah
today. But we're fighting a social battle
every day It's OK to fight for security,
but we also have to fight this battle."

A Successful Journey

Elizabeth Bloch, Paul Gould David Kahan and Valeri Sirlin talk with student
Tamar Lichtman at the Jezreel Valley regional elementary school at Moshav Nahalat.

in the bus station in Afula, just south
of the region, killing three Israelis.
"I definitely was very, very happy to
be in Nazareth Illit," Bloch said. "But
I was also being very cautious and
careful because of the violence.
"When I lived there, even as a teenag-
er, I would take the bus and go shopping
by myself in the Arab Nazareth. No
problem. I was never afraid or intimidat-
ed. Now it's certainly different."
Deputy Mayor Edna Rodrig rook

PACT (Parents and Children
Together) is a plan to ensure that
young Ethiopian-Israelis will not grow
up as an underclass. It provides educa-
tional support and preschool enrich-
ment in language, arts and sports so
that Ethiopian-Israelis can enter the
first grade at a level equal to other
Israeli. children.
PACT, targeting 1,200 students in
Netanya, was launched Nov. 4 and is
administered by Eliot Goldstein, a

Both Sirlin and Bloch were impressed
with what they saw in Netanya and
the Central Galilee.
"My absolute favorite was the PACT
program in Netanya," said Sirlin. "To see
the difference that Federation is making
with Ethiopian Jews is unbelievable.
"If these kids were back in Ethiopia,
they wouldn't have anything. To wel-
come them with open arms, to give
them a good chance to learn and prac-
tice their religion, it's just amazing,"
she said.
Bloch also found the mission an
incredible experience.
"For someone who has lived in
Israel," she said, "it was wonderful to
see how the city has grown and is
developing and all the wonderful
things that are happening, especially
with the support of our Federation.
"There are exchanges of the
Federation and the Detroit Jewish
leadership with the leadership of the
region as well as educational programs,
exchanges of teachers and programs,
support for educational programs in
Zippori and the diggings in Zippori."
In the meantime, she is working to
establish a connection between Beth
El and Migdal HaEmek students.
be a wonderful experience for a
long, long time," she said. "With these
connections we have, we can and we
should draw strength from each other.

❑

Top to bottom: Valeri Sirlin. Migdal
HaEmek high school vice principal Avi
Aviram pours tea with nana mint cut
from their backyard for his guests from
Detroit. Elizabeth Bloch. Eliot Goldstein
of the JDC

12/21
2001

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