Partnership 2000 of the Western Galilee and the Central Area Consortium is offering the opportunity to your community to host 3 youth counselors and a chaperone from the Western Galilee during Summer 2004. The teens will stay in your community for 4 weeks and join your local JCC summer camps as co-counselors. They will introduce the campers to Israeli games and stories through music, dance and drama.

Last year we had two "Reverse Kefiada" versions, one the "Traveling Kefiada", the other a four weeks stay in one community. Canton, Dayton and Youngstown hosted the Kefiada counselors for four weeks and after reviewing all the evaluations, our recommendation is offer to the communities the "four week stay". The longer stay gave both sides more time to get adjusted, learn each other's strengths and needs, develop long lasting relationship between the Israelis and the campers, other counselors, teens, staff and host families.

The host communities felt the Israeli flavor in the camp and the effect in the community. The three co-counselors are 10th or 11th grade students and the chaperone is an adult who will be able to work in the camp and possibly in a particular specialty.

Logistics:

Partnership 2000 will cover:

• The preparation of the teens and the chaperone.

• The flight costs from Israel to the U.S. community and return.

• Visas.

• Health insurance.

• Some of the materials, which the co-counselors need for their activities in the camps.

The US host community will cover:

• Local costs for sight seeing, trips and local transportation.

• A $150 Stipend for each counselor.

The community arranges home hospitality for the teens and the chaperone, an orientation at the day camp including a session on adjusting expectations on both sides, on-going contact and supervision at camp, meeting with local youth, meeting the community leadership in various venues, learning about the community through a visit to the synagogue on Shabbat, etc.

FYI, each co-counselors pays a participation fee of $500

Due to budget constraints for 2004 we are able to send 3 teens and a chaperone to 4-5 communities (all in all 16-20 participants) To secure your part in this excellent program, sign up now!

How do we sign up: Contact Heidi Benish, the Living Bridge coordinator, e-mail: heidib@jafi.org . (Deadline Jan. the 10th 2004)

Provide the following information:

• Does your community want to participate?

• What are your preferred dates?

• Who is the contact person in your community?

• Email Address

• Comments and questions

Kislev 5764 - December 2003