Ron Finkel (left) from Melbourne and Peter Rabin from the Arava have recently agreed to take on the joint position of Co-Chairs of the Arava-Australia Partnership's Steering Committee. Peter is the first Arava Co-Chair to be chosen from among the ranks of P2K volunteers, and Ron is well known to all of the volunteers as the joint chair and one of the most active members of the ALG (Arava Leadership Group) in Melbourne. Peter was one of the first people that Ron met in the Arava, when he first visited the Arava in 2002 after the inception of the ALG. Peter showed Ron around the Arava one Friday morning, and the friendship really blossomed over bowls of Reuvat Rabin's chicken soup!

Ron has a long record of leadership and volunteering that spreads over three continents. His community activism was initially instilled in him by his parents, who came to Australia from Poland - his mother left Europe before the Holocaust, but his father only afterwards - who saw the Jewish community as an extension of the family. Ron's work for AUJES as a law and economic student in Melbourne led to a 3.5 year stint as WUJES president in London, accompanied by his wife Dalia and their first child. In 1977 the young family, now with two children, made aliyah to Israel, where their third child was born. After more than eight years in Israel the family returned to Melbourne for family reasons, and today Ron and Dalia are proud of their two beautiful grandchildren.

Since returning to Australia Ron has worked tirelessly for the Jewish community, holding many positions, including that of national president of Hadassah Australia, national president of Ameinu, and joint chair of the ALG in Melbourne. Ron feels that during this past year there has been a real breakthrough in the joint work of the ALG, which leaves the groups perfectly positioned to take off and achieve the next level of mutual efforts. Some of the projects which Ron believes are important to progress in the coming months are Limmud Arava, association of the Arava with art, and re-engaging with graduates of the reciprocal student delegations which have been taking place for the past ten years.

Peter Rabin's story begins in South Africa, from whence his family immigrated when he was just a year old, and settled in Ramat Hasharon, where Peter grew up. Immediately following his Army service Peter started working for the Nature and Parks Authority. He met and married his wife Reuvat, moved to Rishon L'Tzion and started a family. In 1993 the young family decided to build a house in the central part of the country, and while it was being built, the Nature Authority offered Peter a one-year job in the Arava.

The family moved to Moshav Tsofar, and never looked back. Peter continued working for the Authority until just three months ago, as director for the entire southern part of the country, while Reuvat managed their successful farm and packing shed, and together they brought up their three children. Peter has just completed a three month stint for the export company Agrexco, during which time he set up a packing system in Slovenia.

Peter is no stranger to volunteering in the community. In addition to being one of the founding members of the Arava branch of the ALG, Peter spent many years volunteering in the well-known Arava Search and Rescue Unit, including six years as Head of the Unit, which has saved hundreds of hikers that have run into difficulties over the years.

Peter and Ron met again recently during Ron's visit to the Arava at the end of February. They once again enjoyed Reuvat's chicken soup together, and Peter recalled bringing Ron a package of Israeli chicken soup powder during the 2004 ALG delegation to Australia, only to find that it is readily available in Melbourne!

Ron and Peter look forward to cooperating on all of the Partnership's joint projects, and to initiating many more.