A Fair To Remember! from page A15
fireworks bursting above it, the display was a
perfect finale to a meaningful day.
Event co-chairs were Brian Siegel of
West Bloomfield and Sheri Wagner of
Birmingham. Logistics co-chairs were Robb
Lippitt of Bloomfield Hills and Lee Hurwitz
of Huntington Woods. More than 300 volun-
teers helped make the event a success. [1]
Stephanie Steinberg of the Teen2Teen staff con-
tributed to this report.
This Little Piggy. . .
At the Jewish Federation's special
day at the Michigan State Fair,
replete with kosher food and Jewish
activities, pigs may have been the
most disfavored species. But from
the pigs' point of view on the food
chain, perhaps this day at the fair
brought them their friendliest
crowds.
- David Sachs, senior copy editor
Att.
Eliza Lerman, 6, of Berkley, Calif., pets a goat.
Magic
Continues
Michigan-Israel
partnership
spotlighted during
Israel day at fair.
Robert Sklar
Editor
M
ichigan Jewry and the Central
Galilee boast a magical part-
nership that has grown steadily
for 13 years, a spokesman for the three-
municipality Israeli region told the Detroit
Jewish community as it assembled to cele-
brate Israel's 60th birthday as the modern
Jewish state last week.
"This special partnership is a way of
relating to one another, to know each
other, to become friends:" said Israeli
business leader Yossi Ackerman, the only
speaker during the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit's "A Fair to
Remember" on Aug. 21 at the Michigan
State Fairgrounds in Detroit.
The event replicated Jewish Detroit's cel-
ebration of Israel's one-year anniversary
in 1949.
Ackerman, chairman of Elbit, a Haifa-
based manufacturer of advanced weapons
systems, chairs Michigan Jewry's partner-
A16
August 28 • 2008
01
ship with Israel's Central Galilee; the part-
nership began in 1994.
Speaking from the fairgrounds band
shell, Ackerman told the thousands who
had gathered for a musical celebration of
Israel: "You all should take great pride in
the personal relationships and friendships
that go well beyond the many missions
and exchanges between our communities."
The Jezreel Valley resident added,
"Together, we are enriching our Jewish
world, our sense of peoplehood. Together,
and only together, we will continue
strengthening our next generation:"
A Growing Region
The Central Galilee is an up-and-com-
ing region of northern Israel with young
families, developing industry, a pioneering
drive and untapped potential. The region
has 120,000 residents — many Russian,
South American and Ethiopian immi-
grants. The vast majority of people who
live in Nazareth Illit, Migdal HaEmek and
the Jezreel Valley are Jews. Arab-domi-
nated Nazareth is nearby.
Until 13 years ago, the three munici-
palities developed independently. What
created mingling was a joint partnership
with Michigan Jewry through the Metro
Detroit, Washtenaw County and Grand
Rapids federations.
The impetus for the resulting eco-
nomic, educational, cultural, spiritual and
social ties was Partnership 2000, a Jewish
Agency for Israel initiative in coopera-
tion with the United Israel Appeal and the
United Jewish Communities, the umbrella
for North American federations. The hope
was to spur kesher lekesher, people-to-
For photos and stories about "A
Fair To Remember" written by the
staff of the JN's Teen2Teen sec-
tion, go to JNt2t.com . Also check
the Federation's photo gallery at
jewishdetroit.org . For "Faces of the
Fair," a collection of more than 1,000
photographs taken by Dan Monkman
and the staff of his Digital Dan
Photography and Video of Ferndale,
go to digitaldanphotography.com .
people connections between Israeli and
North American Jews. Today, 45 such part-
nerships worldwide are linked to Israeli
development areas primarily in the Negev
and Galilee.
Michigan Jewry chose the Central
Galilee because the diversity of its resi-
dents and existing personal relationships.
Behind The Investment
Pillars of the Central Galilee are ali-
yah absorption on a large scale, which
strengthens Israel as the Jewish state, and
Jewish-Arab equality building, which is
essential in a land of 5.5 million Jews and
1.5 million Arabs.
One of P2K's marquee successes is the
summer camp experience for Israeli and
Michigan teens at Tamarack's Camp Maas
in Ortonville. Israeli teens also take part in
Federation's Teen Mission to Israel.
P2K also has yielded Israel social ser-
vice and relief programs, hospice care,
resettlement, emergency funding youth
programs and equality-building programs
involving Israeli Arabs and Jews. The har-
vest further includes trans-Atlantic Jewish
education programs, leadership develop-
ment and communal interaction.
Total P2K investment over the past 13
years is $9 million, the vast majority from
the Metro Detroit Federation. The 2007-
2008 funding for programs in the region
is $1.5 million, including a specific P2K
allocation of $675,000.
Although most of the tangible benefits
of P2K have been in the Central Galilee,
Metro Detroit has benefited from profes-
sional exchanges involving physicians,
educators and social workers; adopting
Yossi Ackerman visits Detroit from
Michigan Jewry's home in Israel: the
Central Galilee.
Israeli eldercare service program; and
school-related learning connections.
"We are there for each other in times
of need; and tonight we join together in
celebration:' Ackerman said in concluding
remarks. "I hope you know how much we
value our unique relationship and part-
nership."
The next day, Robert Aronson, CEO of
Metro Detroit's Federation, told the IN that
Michigan Jewry is committed to P2K in
every way.
"As I said from day one, the future of
our relationship is based on building
lasting personal relationships and con-
nections through which Detroiters and
Israelis spend time in, and meet people in,
each area."
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