In the second week of December, the Partnership delegation from Louisville, Kentucky paid a four-day visit to the region. This was the first time a delegation from the association of partnership communities had chosen to visit the region for a few days, in order to familiarize themselves with Partnership activities and to make contacts that would serve as a basis for future contact between the community and Western Galilee.  

The 13-member delegation began its visited with the “Partnership Lights” party for the Musical Preschool in Acco, which is participating in the partnership activities with the communities of Canton, Ohio and San Antonio, Texas. 

The next day, the mission was taken on a tour of the border to provide them with a better picture of what it is like in the Western Galilee during wartime. As a result of the war, local forests were damaged, and so part of the visit was taken up with reforestation activities near Kibbutz Kabri. 

On the third day of their visit, the mission members participated in activities with the Acco children in the Musical Preschool, and visited the Museum at Kibbutz Lochamei Ha’getaot, and Nahariya Hospital, whose fourth floor sustained Katyusha damage. In the afternoon, the mission visited Hafukh el Hafukh in Bet Galgalim, and ended the day in the homes of residents in Acco.

On the last day, the participants visited two small businesses in the Western Galilee: “Shikuy Gaaton,” a business started by a man with a vision, who produces liqueurs at Kibbutz Gaaton from passion fruit, lychee and pomegranate. The other business was “Galilee Silks,” which is based in Kibbutz Bet Ha’emek, and has been in business for 15 years. It specializes in dying silk fabrics, fashion design and Judaica. On busy days, the group was divided according to spheres of interest and that the four physicians in the groups visited departments in Nahariya Hospital relevant to their own specialization. Flautist Kathleen Kerr, director of the flute section in the Louisville Orchestra, played the flute for five preschools and organized a joint musical activity for them.