Team Boca Members At A Playground In Kb Donated By Spbc Community

62 teenagers and 8 chaperones from South Palm Beach County visited Kiryat Bialik as part of the JCC-Maccabi Games/Artsfest program, which took place in Israel this year. In coordination with the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2Gether, all participants spent a home hospitality weekend at their partnered community.

The partnership between Kiryat Bialik and the Jewish Federation of SPBC was established nine years ago and operates various projects in the fields of Jewish education, culture and welfare, with Living Bridge being its main goal. Indeed, this weekend was every bit a person-to-person connection as anyone could imagine.

3 swimmers from KB joined Team Boca and spent the entire 12-day program with their peers, for many of whom this was the first visit to Israel. The group, headed by Lesley Surfer of the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC, began their journey with a few days of sports and arts, followed by a Sharing and Caring activity.

On Friday afternoon they arrived at KB and dispersed to their host families for the Shabbat. Many of the teens had already made initial contact with their hosts through Facebook and other technological means, and now they had the opportunity to meet them face to face and have a taste of Israeli life. This was a great opportunity for the hosts, too, to personally meet young American Jews, give them a warm Israeli home hospitality and introduce them to Israel through their own eyes.

Americans And Israelis Having Fun Together At The Party

A party on Saturday night, with lots of music, dance and pizzas, given by the KB municipality and the Partnership was a proper ending to this unforgettable experience. On Sunday, several of the host families headed to Jerusalem to see their "new children" at the final games and closing ceremony. This is perhaps the best evidence to the impact of this personal encounter on both sides, which will surely result in many long-term friendships.