When the Overseas Connections Committee/Department of International Operations (DIO) first began in the mid 1990's, it was with the intention that it would bring Clevelanders closer to our Overseas projects, establishing a people-to-people connection that would touch lives there and impact souls here.

Through the years, we have strengthened those connections by establishing many projects and work groups to expand both our network and spread the agenda.

Last month, that people-to-people agenda was pushed yet another step further with the innovative 2003 Family Educators' Seminar. The seminar educationally brought together diverse segments of our community. Sponsored by 4 different agencies, agencies and goals included: the Siegal College of Judaic Studies, to develop institutional-based family trips and programs to and about Israel; the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, to begin a conversation of how to reconceptualize Israel education here in Cleveland; the Jewish Agency, to support these endeavors through its expertise as a resource; and the Federation's Department of International Operations, to create and strengthen partnership opportunities between our overseas projects and home.

Following two preparatory sessions, one on Israel education in general and the second geared to OCC projects with an emphasis on Beit Shean that was developed and led in part by Cleveland's Partnership 2000 Chairperson Fran Immerman, the educators led by Dr. Jeffrey Schein of Siegal College departed for a 9-day Israel educational adventure on December 14, 2003. Teams were encouraged, and, for example, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple's education director, on her first trip to Israel, brought three teachers and her School Board chair, also on his first trip.

Together the educators were challenged and prodded by first-class lecturers, became acquainted - or reacquainted - with significant sites, visited places professionally pertinent to Jewish Family Education, were updated on political situations, and were skillfully led to bring it all back together through journaling and discussions.

The agenda continued as the Family Educators' Seminar concluded with two half days in Beit Shean. Developed by the Partnership 2000 staff at Beit Cleveland, Cleveland's Education Coordinator in International Operations Julie Auerbach and educational consultant Sally Klein Katz, enabled the educators became even more familiar with the city and region from the Biblical on the Gilboa Mountains to the current in their accommodations at the new Beit Shean Guest House, from outdoor environmental at Kfar Ruppin to the campus of Gaon HaYarden. They shopped at the shuk and the malls, celebrated Chanukah with the arriving Ambassadors of Unity (see earlier articles), and studied at Midreshet Beit Shean. They learned about education in the city and the region from Herzl Yona and Miri Livne. But the true highlight for them all was the home hospitality - Beit Sheanis, well-known for their warmth and gracious hospitality, had not lost their touches!

Several kinds of educational relationships existed before this trip, and several new ones are emerging. Prior to the Seminar, the three most well established partnerships were in the day schools, where there were ongoing correspondences, videoconferencing and co-curricular work. Several congregational schools had been trying to develop relationships, but each was encountering some difficulties. As they say in Israel, you need someone who is meshuga la davar.

We believe that the major result of this educational seminar is in fact the 18 Cleveland meshugaim that came back from Israel. While staff from places like Cleveland Hebrew Schools, Temple Emanu El and The Temple Tifereth Israel, which had fledgling mifgashim, will now be strengthened by the visits of their educators, there were others whose long-distance relationship began just last month with a conversation and "first date."

• Len Steiger, head of Akiva High School came to Beit Shean with two staff following several weeks of conversations about a Holocaust project with Beit Shean educator Ziona Levy. He met with her, and the school is now poised to begin a joint project next month.

• Congregational Educator Lynn Liebling of Shaarey Tikvah met with our DIO Education Coordinator in November about her dreams of partnering with an intergenerational institution, took an interest in Midreshet Beit Shean and, after talking to its Development Director Zvi Pearlman, is now poised to continue a long-distance relationship.

• Lay person Judy Shafran, who came wearing both her Akiva staff hat and her B'nai Jeshurun congregational member hat, is now serving in an advisory capacity to her Rabbi as he plans his congregation's first Israel family trip for August 2004.

Evaluations done at the end of the time in Beit Shean brought forth innovative ideas. Programs that had previously been but seeds of ideas picked up enthusiasts. New ideas will undoubtedly keep emerging, as these educators process and take their week of learning and experiencing on to their boards, staff and students. Follow-up meetings with the participants, sometimes in concert with Ellen Deutsch who staffs Cleveland's Family Educators' Network, are being scheduled. We who work on Partnership 2000 in Cleveland recommend that you stay tuned for the exciting details that we know will follow in the months to come!

Tevet 5764 - December 2003