By Eden Refaelovich

 

I grew up in Nesher, a city in northern Israel, where I was part of a program called Partnership2Gether (P2G). Since elementary school, I have taken part in activities that helped build strong and meaningful connections between Jews in Israel and Jewish communities in the United States.

In Nesher, we worked closely with Broward County, Florida, through a sister-city partnership that’s been going strong for years.

 

When I moved to Stamford, I felt it was important to continue this mission and to help others experience the same kind of connection I was lucky to have growing up. That’s why I started two new projects with our partners in Afula-Gilboa, Israel.

 

The first is a Student Pen Pal Project between students at BCHA (Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy) and students at Emek Charod School in Israel. Every week, I meet with the students at BCHA, and together with Noga, a teacher in Israel, we’ve helped students exchange videos, pictures, and emails. The students are excited to get to know kids their age in Israel and to learn about Jewish life in another country.

 

The second is a Family Pen Pal Project that connects families from Stamford, New Canaan and Darien with families in Afula-Gilboa. We launched a pilot with 12 families, matching them based on shared interests, kids' ages, and hobbies. The response has been amazing! Families are talking regularly, sharing traditions, and even dreaming about visiting each other in the future.

It’s been so special to see new friendships growing, and to realize how strong and deep a connection can become—just because we all share something so meaningful: being Jewish.

If you want to be part of the Pen Pal experience and connect with a family in Israel, you can still sign up here: https://www.ujf.org/PenPal