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32 THE GUIDE 2018/2019
“We are home to one of the oldest
Jewish congregations in the
United States. We have a very
strong Jewish community. Those
are the large reasons for why the
relationship was created.”
SIOBHAN LYONS
between the cities. There are also plans to launch a
new high school exchange program with a school
in Tel Aviv.

“We are home to one of the oldest Jewish congre-
gations in the United States,” Lyons said. “We have a
very strong Jewish community. Those are the large
reasons for why the relationship was created.”
About an hour’s drive south of Tel Aviv, and
just 10 miles away from Gaza, sits another of
Philadelphia’s sister cities — Netivot and Sdot
Negev, an area of about 40,000 people.

About 20 years ago, the Jewish Federation decid-
ed to participate in the Jewish Agency for Israel’s
Partnership2Gether program, which connects
Jewish communities around the world to commu-
nities on Israel’s periphery.

“We had a group of Philadelphians who went
to Israel and visited a few places, and they really
made a connection with the people in Netivot and
Sdot Negev,” said Beth Razin, senior manager of
community engagement at the Jewish Federation.

“We’ve had a really successful 20-plus years work-
ing together.”
Over those two decades, the Jewish Federation
has supported education, cultural entrepreneurship
and creative and healthy placemaking in Netivot
and Sdot Negev. This has included programs to
emphasize STEAM education, enhance small busi-
ness skills and raise the quality of life. The part-
nership has resulted in the construction of the
Kaiserman Family Spiritual Center, the Tanenbaum
Music Conservatory and the Robert Saligman Early
Childhood Development Center.

Because of the proximity to Gaza, security also
has been a focus. The Jewish Federation has helped
refurbish bomb shelters, provide needed supplies
and establish a program to train teenagers to help
out in times of crisis.

The Jewish Federation sends regular missions
to the area, where participants get an appreciation
for the region’s unique security needs, as well as
the opportunity to bond with locals. Residents of



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Netivot and Sdot Negev also visit Philadelphia. In
2013, for instance, the Tavlinim group, a catering
company supported by Partnership2Gether, visited
Philadelphia to put on culinary demonstrations.

“We’ve really created programming that has
been copied by other federations in their communi-
ties, which is a real compliment to what we’ve been
able to do,” said David Gold, Philadelphia co-chair
of the Partnership2Gether committee.

“The partnership model really grew out of the
idea that we should work together to see what we
can do together,” Razin said. “The Israeli commu-
nity are partners. They want to do more projects
on our side, to do more about education and Jewish
identity building. They see themselves as being able
to offer those kinds of projects.”
Right now, for example, there is an art instal-
lation called “Art from the Negev” making its
way through the Philadelphia area. Its two artists,
Simcha Even-Haim and Yafa Dadon, hail from Sdot
Negev and Netivot, respectively.

“We can share and learn from each other and
help each other as communities,” Razin said. “[It’s]
what’s behind the idea of partnership.” l
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620 West Valley Forge Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610.337.1214 Warminster Twp.

779 W. County Line Road
Hatboro, PA 19040
215.957.5182 Yardley
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215.321.6166 szighelboim@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
THE GUIDE 2018/2019
33