Israel Committee Co-Chair Paula Edelstein meets Beit Shemesh and Morocco Youth (photos by Douglas Guthrie)

The Living Bridge unit of the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 Project hosts delegations of youth from South Africa and Washington in Beit Shemesh each year. This past August, for the first time, a delegation of Jewish youth from Morocco came to Beit Shemesh for a two-week visit, financed by the Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Fund. The delegation comprised 30 young people aged 14-18 who were hosted by local youth. To arrange hospitality, the Jewish Agency appealed to families in Beit Shemesh and Mateh Yehuda who were involved in Partnership 2000 activities, some of whom belong to its committees, as well as to Beit HaNoar (Youth House) Director Meir Belaish, who helped locate young people that volunteered to host delegation members and even helped organized a day's activities at Neve Ilan.

The Jewish community of Morocco numbers about 2,500, residing chiefly in Casablanca. Most speak French and use it as their principal language. The young hosts joined the guided tours arranged for the delegation in the Beit Shemesh Region. In the south, the itinerary included an Air Force base and Bedouin tents. In Tiberias, they stopped at the tombs of holy men. They also visited historical sites, such as the Western Wall, Yad Vashem and the Diaspora Museum, as well as a day-long happening organized by the Jewish National Fund at Shuni Antiquities Park.

Very close ties were formed between delegation members and local youth, says Mimi Tarabalous, Partnership 2000 Living Bridge Coordinator. Tarabalous, a resident of Moshav Givat Yeshayahu, accompanied the delegation during the visit. "The families welcomed the delegation and hosted them most cordially. The young people from Morocco arrived in town at 4:00 AM and their hosts were waiting for them with food and "Welcome" signs. Delegation members were so pleased with the people from Beit Shemesh that when it was time to visit Tel Aviv or see their Israeli relatives, they preferred to remain in Beit Shemesh. The host families made their guests feel right at home and even prepared their national dishes, such as couscous and moufleta. We thank these hosts heartily." Among the host families were three from Moshav Aderet, as well as the families of Mayor Daniel Vaknin, Office Manger Katy Shetreet and Education Department Director Clement Boujnah.

Liat Danon, a young Beit Shemesh resident who hosted no fewer than four young people, has only good to say about the people from Morocco. "They were simply marvelous," she notes with much excitement. "It was easy to communicate with them. They really enjoyed themselves. I believe we achieved our goal of outreach to them. I was especially touched when I found out that the young people observe Jewish traditions. They washed their hands ritually, recited blessings and the boys put on tefillin every morning. I became especially close to one of the girls. When we said goodbye at the airport, we were crying. It was never so hard for me to part from someone. When she returned to Morocco she called me immediately and we talk on the phone every day." Partnership 2000 is now arranging reciprocal hospitality for the local hosts in Morocco. An invitation has already been received from Moroccan liaison Salomon Azoulai.

September 1999