Gesher Chai participants from Winnipeg visit with Israeli peers at the Nachsonei Hahula school in the Galil. (April 2009)
Read the latest Partnership 2000 Newsletter Shalom chaverim, You will find a link at the bottom of the page to the first edition of our new Coast to Coast Canada (C2C) -Galilee Panhandle Partnership newsletter! The Partnership is based on a shared belief of Am Echad (one people), and pairs seven Canadian communities with five Galilee Panhandle development towns and councils. The Partnership is committed to providing people-to-people connection between Canadians and Galilee Panhandle residents as well as to enhancing the quality of life and opportunity for Galilee Panhandle residents. The purpose of this publication is to provide you with information and updates on exciting programs and projects with which the Partnership is involved. Each project undertaken by the C2C Partnership is focused on making a real and tangible difference in people’s lives. The three tenets of the Partnership are: 1) Gesher Chai: programs focused on promoting global Jewish identity and unity through people-to-people connections between Canadian and Galilee Panhandle residents. The program is primarily school and to a lesser extent, camp based. 2) Capacity Building: focuses on the realms of leadership development, volunteerism, young populations, infrastructure (mainly lobbying), regional development, and economic development. 3) Youth & Education: deals with a wide range of education and youth programs, from kindergarten to university, and programs in both informal and formal educational spheres. Projects aim to create and support lasting links between our local Canadian communities and those in our partnership region of the Galilee Panhandle. Whether its building new facilities, bringing together Jewish youth, or providing a nurturing environment for children in Israel, the C2C Partnership, funded with your generous gift to the annual campaign, is dedicated to affecting real change in the lives of real people. On behalf of every child, adult and family who has been touched by the partnership, we wish you a very happy and healthy new year and thank you for your past and continued efforts. B‘shalom, Guy Lipkin, Aharon Valency & Kathy Zilbert
Partnership Co-Chairs
The Canada-Galilee Panhandle Partnership was established in 1997 by the Jewish Agency for Israel as part of its Partnership 2000 program. The Partnership twins seven Coast-to-Coast Canadian communities – Atlantic Canada, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Hamilton – with five Galilee Panhandle development towns and councils – Galil Elyon, Kiryat Shmona, Metulla, Mevo’ot HaHermon, and Yessod HaMa’ala.
Located along the confrontation line on the Lebanese border, just kilometers away from heavy fighting during the 2006 war against Hezbollah, the Galilee Panhandle is a region that faces considerable threats. At the same time, given the predominance of small, rural communities in the region, and its location in the northernmost part of Israel, the Galilee Panhandle faces another great challenge: providing its 50,000 residents with the abundant social, educational and employment opportunities readily available in the centre of Israel.
Based on a shared belief in Am Echad (one people), the Partnership maintains a two-fold mandate:
• strengthen the relationship between Jewish communities in Canada and Israel; and • develop the Galilee Panhandle and improve the living standards of its residents The Partnership identified the development of high quality formal and informal education opportunities for children and youth as the region’s highest priority. To put this priority into practice, the Partnership has established three initiatives:
Gesher Chai
True to its name, which means "living bridge," Gesher Chai creates deep, meaningful people-to-people connections between Canadian and Galilee Panhandle residents. Focusing on informal educational initiatives for elementary and high school-aged children, Gesher Chai programs promote global Jewish identity and unity.
BeYachad
Following in the footsteps of Gesher Chai, BeYachad – or "together" – is focused on advancing the education standards in the Galilee Panhandle. By narrowing scholastic gaps compared to the rest of the country, BeYachad aims to enhance the region’s social fabric, attract young families, and boost population retention.
Priority Programming
In its most recent initiative, the Partnership has identified and launched an array of programs and projects that the Galilee Panhandle’s towns and regional councils consider to be of the highest priority. Ranging from informal education to young leadership, this Priority Programming aims to make an even greater impact on the region.
Read the latest Partnership 2000 Newsletter
View the most recent Partnership Video
Message from Kathy Zilbert
Canada Coast-to-Coast Chair
Greetings! It is with great excitement that I write this, because while the Coast to Coast- Etzbah HaGalil partnership has had a challenging year, it has also been a very exhilarating one
Message from Aharon Valency
Israel Galilee Panhandle Chair
Dear Friends,
I would like to tell you a little about what the Partnership 2000 program means to Israelis living in the north. The bond between the municipalities in Israel`s Galilee Panhandle and the Canadian Coast communities has been in existence for many years, and with every mifgash, the connection only gets stronger
... read more
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