A special Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration for 2nd graders from Beit Shean and Cleveland

Second graders from Meir School in Beit Shean met for a Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration with their 2nd grade peers from Temple Tifereth Israel in Cleveland via videoconference. "My flag is blue and white," sang the children from Israel in Hebrew while their friends in Cleveland taught them movements as they danced to the song. The joyous meeting ended with friends from two sides of the ocean singing together Hatikvah. Throughout the videoconference the Israeli children waved at Devorah (a.k.a. Dorothy Lowenstein), a girl from Cleveland that had visited Beit Shean a few weeks earlier. The 7 and 8 year old children overcame the language obstacle and played together while the Israeli children competed over getting their friend Devorah's attention.

This meeting for Yom Ha'atzmaut was another highlight between two groups of children. Throughout the year the 2nd graders sent each other letters and pictures, while the teachers organized joint activities.

The school year ended with the children from Beit Shean taking a trip to Jerusalem and putting personal notes in the Kotel sent previously by their peers in Cleveland.

Personal connections are our motto at Partnership 2000. When a child from Cleveland gets acquainted with an Israeli child on a personal level, it affects the Jewish Identity and the connection to Israel. This experience also provides a satisfying feeling for Israeli children as they learn about the world while strengthening their identity as Jews and as Israelis.

Connections on different levels exist on a yearly basis between children from many schools in Beit Shean Region and Supplementary and Day Schools in Cleveland. Hundreds of children take part in activities that strengthen their personal acquaintance between each other.

From the children of Heather Ross and her husband Irwin Lowenstein:

During the last year, Beit Shean has hosted many Cleveland families. One such family was that of Heather Ross and her husband Irwin Lowenstein. In fact, so taken with the Meir School and its students were their two daughters that the girls were ready to enroll in the Meir School. They settled for a few hours. Here is their report on the day:

“Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we were still able to communicate and become friends with the children in Beit Shean.  When they wanted us to come somewhere, they took our hands to guide us and said “Boi” which means “Come” in Hebrew.  We saw the trees the children planted behind their school near the playground.  The garden was called”Gan T’fereth Yisrael.”  It was very exciting to see how the connection is “growing” between Beit Shean and Cleveland.”

Anna and Dorothy Lowenstien

In total, over 250 people, including participants in congregational and school trips, volunteers on our P2K Engliyada programs, the members of the Ambassadors for Unity, and many many families have visited Beit Shean this past year. The memories that they have taken home with them have rippled out into long-lasting friendships and ongoing connections, binding our communities closer together as Biblical Ruth's one people.