“Thanks to The Jewish Federation, I created a lifetime friendship with my twin buddy in Tel Aviv.” (8th grade Kadima student, Los Angeles)
“I came as a complete atheist and now I feel that I am a Jew.” (10th grade student Tichon Hadash, Tel Aviv)
“We never expected to receive such warm hospitality. They really care about us.” (6th grade student, David Yellin, Tel Aviv)
“Visiting Israel and staying with my host family has connected me to Israel and its people. It gave me the feeling that Israel will always be my second home.” (10th grade student LAHH, Los Angeles)
These are just a few of the heartfelt testimonials we heard from students who participated in The Jewish Federation’s LA-TA School Twinning Program this past year. This truly transformative and life-changing program connects Jewish youth to their heritage and Jewish tradition through their experiences in Israel and their connection to K’lal Israel. It has boldly impacted over 8,000 Jewish youth from Los Angeles and Tel Aviv since its inception in 1997.
Every year, students from 20 schools in Los Angeles, 20 schools in Tel Aviv and one school in Vilnius, Lithuania, participate in this transformative program. They live in each other’s homes, learn in their partner schools and experience the local culture firsthand. The main goal of the program is to build strong relationships between the participants, their families and their schools, all while developing a lasting bond with the greater Jewish community and the state of Israel.
I am privileged to share a letter that was sent to us by an 8th grade participant who hosted a student from Israel last fall:
Today, the delegation went back to Israel. This program has changed my life and I will never forget the friends and the experiences I had while participating in this partnership. This experience would not have been possible without the Federation.
After visiting the Federation building in Los Angeles, I realized that the Federation does more than contributing money to the Partnership. I learned how much the Federation does for communities, such as providing food, clothes, and other needs,
not only to the students, but also to the elderly as well. In addition, the Federation connects people in Los Angeles to Israel by allowing them to contribute and support the country.
Again, I would like to thank the Federation for being an amazing support to Jewish education as is stated in the Mishnah “Kol Israel Arevim Zeh Ba’zeh.” May the light increase as we go from strength to strength.
Thank you,
Carmel Abramov
8th Grade
Kadima Day School
Partnership of 2014-2015
Carmel Abramov is an 8th grade student at Kadima Day School. She is going with the Kadima delegation to Tel Aviv in Spring 2015, when she will reunite with her School Twinning partner.
For more information about our Federation’s School Twinning Program, please contact Miri Ketayi at (323) 761-8246 or MKetayi@JewishLA.org.
