Israel today faces an intensive and increasingly sophisticated assault on its right to exist as a sovereign, democratic Jewish state. On college campuses, and within professional and academic associations, in global politics and throughout local communities, instances of delegitimization targeting Israel continue to arise. It’s our mission to support Israel.
Missions to Israel and Overseas
For the past 36 years, JFEC has been the leading Federation in missions to Israel and overseas. We encounter Israelis from all backgrounds, including our partnership region of Afula and the Gilboa, enjoy a home meal in a Druze village, and a meal in an Ethiopian Absorption Center. We discover historic sites with visits to important Israeli archaeological sites including Caesarea, Acre (Akko), Beit She’an, and the Western and Southern Walls of the Temple Mount. We delve into curated visits to the Israel and Tel Aviv museums, Kibbutz Ein Harod Museum, Yad V’Shem, Israel’s Museum and Monument to the Holocaust. We feast on falafel and Israeli cuisine Falafel at Golani Falafel in Afula and tasting tour of the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv.
When we get the ‘OK’, we’ll be travelling again, so join us!
For 19 years, our Young Emissaries arrive in our community to the warm welcome of their host families and our Federation staff. Host families play a critical part in their lives while they are here; helping them acclimate, introducing them to people they wouldn’t meet otherwise and being there for them as they would be for their own children.
The Young Israeli Emissaries are here as a Living Bridge between our countries and our communities. It is through them that we stay connected to Israel as a whole and our partnership region specifically. Their home base is the Federation office where much of their brainstorming and creativity takes place. Then their work begins as they move around the community to our synagogues and religious schools.
In building relationships and bringing their message of connection, their work in the public schools and civic organizations is a high priority. They speak to many people who are not Jewish, and in most cases, know very little about Israel. They are ‘The Face of Israel’, creating unique relationships through programs, events and appearances throughout the community.
Partnership 2Gether
The Jewish Agency’s Partnership2gether Peoplehood Platform has become the paradigm for successfully partnering global Jewish communities directly with Israeli communities.
P2G connects 450 Jewish and Israeli communities in 46 city-to-city and region-to-region Partnerships, engaging more than 350,000 participants each year in meaningful ongoing connections between Israelis and Jews around the world, through unique programs and one-on-one encounters.
Our connection to our Partnership region of Afula-Gilboa is stronger than ever. While we are there to support many of the organizations in the region through good times and challenging times, it is our Partnership2Gether friends who take care of members of our community when traveling to Israel. They greet our community members upon arrival in the region and help make accommodations for us at no cost. In most cases, and whenever possible, they give our community members private tours of the many important and beautiful sites in our partnership region.
Is there an Israeli program you’d like to see here? Our team member, Marcia, can provide information and help.
