6 | APRIL 29 • 2021 

1942 - 2021

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

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Detroit Jewish News, 

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The Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation

| Board of Directors:
 Chair: Gary Torgow
 Vice President: David Kramer 
 Secretary: Robin Axelrod
 Treasurer: Max Berlin
 Board members: Larry Jackier, 
 Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer
 
 
 Senior Advisor to the Board: 
 Mark Davidoff
 Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair: 
 Mike Smith
 Founding President & Publisher Emeritus: 
 Arthur Horwitz
 Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory

 
 
 

| Editorial 
 DIrector of Editorial: 
 Jackie Headapohl
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Associate Editor: David Sachs
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Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
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Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
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Contributing Writers:
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Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, 
Alicia Chandler, Shelli Leibman Dorfman, 
Louis Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther 
Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer 
Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, 
Robin Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, 
Ashley Zlatopolsky

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MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish 
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish 
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.

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Detroit Jewish community, reflecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the 
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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PURELY COMMENTARY

continued on page 8

JN FILE PHOTO

W

hy is the program 
Partnership2Gether 
(P2G) so very 
important to our community? 
Relationships. It’s all about 
relationships. 
 When I took over as the 
director of Federation’s Israel 
and Overseas 
Department in 
2015, that’s what 
I heard over 
and over when 
acclimating 
myself to P2G 
— one of the 
Detroit Jewish 
Federation’s flagship programs. 

But what do “relationships” 
actually mean? Let’s back up 
and start with what P2G is. 
P2G is a program of the 
Jewish Agency for Israel 
(JAFI). There are more than 
550 communities around the 
world involved in 45 different 
partnerships. 
Michigan was one of the 
first to join back in 1994. 
Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor 
and Grand Rapids are paired 
all together with three 
municipalities in what we call 
the “Central Galilee Region 
of Israel,” including Nof 
HaGalil (formerly Nazareth 

Illit), Migdal HaEmek and the 
Jezreel Valley. 
In the beginning, P2G 
was created as a way for 
us (the Michiganders) to 
take care of the people in 
Israel. We raised funds and 
assisted with basic needs. 
As Israel evolved over the 
years, so did Partnership. 
Today, Partnership focuses 
on four primary areas: 
Jewish identity, leadership 
development, volunteer 

engagement and education.
Where once 100% of 
the dollars went to Israel 
to support basic needs, 
now much of the money 
is used to bring Israelis 
and Israel experiences to 
our community from the 
Partnership region through 
programs like Shinshinim, 
School Twinning and 
the Lester Young Adult 
Ambassador program.

Jennifer 
Levine

Central Galilee 11th-graders comingle on the Naim BeYahad bike trail.

essay
Partnership2Gether:
Two Communities, 
One United Family

