38 | JUNE 23 • 2022 

different tasks related to the 
partnership region. These 
items include the English 
language programs, teen 
leadership development 
(which includes the camper 
program, Birthright trips 
and Teen Mission), a 
program where young 
adults in Michigan are 
paired with young adults 
in the partnership region, 
helping launch a young 
adult initiative in the region 
similar to NEXTGen Detroit, 
and more. 
The ShinShinim program, 
where Israeli high school 
graduates from the 
partnership region take a 
gap year in Detroit, stay with 
a host family and take part 
in the community, is among 
the biggest day-to-day 
efforts Stillman is dedicated 
to.
The P2G program has two 
chairs in Michigan, Randi 
Sakwa and Ron Sollish, 
and two in Israel, Rachel 
Shechori and Avi Aviram. 
The P2G director in Israel is 
Einat Adir-Sappire.
“What keeps the machine 
running is the committee 
here and in Israel and 
the relationships we form 
together because during 
normal times we travel 
regularly. Either their 
committee comes to Detroit 
or we go to Israel, at least 
once every nine months,” 
Stillman said. 
“Those trips are important 
to the work we do in creating 
these strong bonds between 
our committee members, and 
I think those relationships 
are at the heart of everything 
we do.” 

DEALING WITH 
THE PANDEMIC
For the past two or so years 
during the pandemic, it 
certainly hasn’t been normal 
times, and those trips weren’t 
able to be taken. Regardless, 
the two sides found ways to 
keep the partnership moving 
forward. 
“Obviously, at the 
beginning, our heads were 
spinning and we didn’t know 
which way was up for a little 
bit, but of all the things 
Federation is doing, I think 
P2G had a somewhat easier 
time pivoting,” said Jennifer 
Levine, director 
of Federation’s 
Israel & Overseas 
Department. “We 
already were used 
to operating [that 
way]. Half of my 
staff has always 
been in Israel, so since 
forever we’ve had to meet 
online.” 

P2G’s pivot saw many 
programs move to virtual 
without much problem, 
including the teen leadership 
program and a continuation 
of its counselor-in-training 
program. New, innovative 
programming also came 
about during this time, 
including virtual cooking 
and improv comedy events. 
“I think we discovered the 
silver lining, the capacity 
of what we could do online 
that we never knew before,” 
Stillman said. “There’s 
components of the online 
element we’ll keep long 
beyond COVID because 
when you’re working across 
the ocean, it just makes 
sense.” 
The Israeli camper 
program was paused during 
the height of the pandemic, 
but Israeli campers are now 
returning to Camp Tamarack 
this summer after a two-year 
COVID-induced hiatus.

Stillman and Levine look 
forward to returning to 
some type of normalcy on 
all fronts, getting back to 
traveling, getting programs 
back in-person and 
continuing to move forward. 
“P2G is one of the 
best tools we have as a 
community to turn the 
abstract concept of a global 
Jewish family into a reality, 
and that’s really what we 
try to do,” Levine said. 
“Federation exists to take 
care of the needs of the 
Jewish people and to build a 
vibrant Jewish future here, in 
Israel and around the world. 
“And I feel P2G is the best 
tool we have to focus on 
building a stronger Jewish 
community.” 

For more about Partnership2Gether 

and how to get involved, contact 

Dona Stillman at stillman@jfmd.org or 

(248) 943-1553.

ERETZ
FROM OUR PARTNERSHIP 
REGION IN ISRAEL

Jennifer 
Levine

The P2G 
Steering 
Committee

continued from page 37

