August 28, 2014
By Sheila Wilensky, AJP Associate Editor
At an Aug. 17 affair at the Tucson Jewish Association Center, bounded families created a affiche that says "Shalom" in Hebrew and English to allotment with their "Same Moon" counterparts in Israel. (Courtesy Weintraub Israel Center)
Today's families advance active lives, but a simple befalling to acquaint with anniversary added — let abandoned families bags of afar abroad — can be a attenuate delight. "The Same Moon" activity has provided aloof that. Six months ago, the Weintraub Israel Center affiliated 10 Tucson families who accept accouchement ages 4 to 12 with agnate Israeli families, in the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona's Partnership2Gether arena of Kiryat Malachi and Hof Ashkelon.
The activity creates a account ancestors pen-pal accord based on six questions in "The Same Moon," a account book accounting and illustrated by Adi Shacham, the Partnership's people-to-people coordinator in Israel. The book's apriorism is that two families who alive in altered places and appear from altered cultures will apprentice about anniversary other, and forth the way, may ascertain added about themselves.
"We wrote letters, emailed and beatific photos," says Rebecca Crow, Tucson Partnership co-chair forth with Ken Miller. Crow and Oshrat Barel, association shlicha and administrator of the Israel Center, abounding Partnership affairs in Israel from June 11 to 14.
The two capital to accommodated with Israeli families accommodating in the Same Moon project. "We didn't accord abundant apprehension that we were coming," says Crow. "All the families opened their homes to us and gave us a few hours of their time." Those visits "gave us windows into their accustomed lives. The families were actual accessible about their lives in Israel." One mother brewed beer and offered tastes, while at accession appointment a adolescent played the violin for them. Crow and Barel brought ability to the Israeli families from their Tucson correspondents.
For six months, the 10 Tucson families and 10 Israeli families wrote to anniversary other, answering questions such as "How do you bless Jewish holidays?" or "What do you do in your additional time?" or "What's the adventure of the abode area you live?"
"We affectionate of fell in adulation with the project," says Tucsonan Libby Quinn. "We got to sit bottomward as a family, which is attenuate because we're all so busy. Nora, my 9-year-old daughter, is so appreciative of accepting a acquaintance in accession country." In addition, addendum Quinn, autograph belletrist is such a fun, alternate way to learn.
"There are two admirable goals of this project," Barel told the AJP. "It gives families affection time to get calm and allows them to affix with an Israeli family. Adi did such a abundant job of analogous the families. Back Tucson families go to Israel they've said they would absolutely appointment the Israeli families."
A affair adulatory the achievement of the six-month activity took abode Aug. 17 at the Tucson Jewish Association Center. Seven of the 10 Tucson families will abide to break in blow with the Israeli families, says Barel.
"We showed photos of our affairs in Israel" at the JCC party, says Crow. "Some of the kids and adults are alike autograph separately" to anniversary added now. We're planning three added parties for the families in Tucson who appetite to break affiliated to anniversary other, as will the families in Israel."
Gila Silverman, mother of Isaac, age 9, has been autograph to the Danieli ancestors of Kiryat Malachi. They accept two boys actual abutting to Isaac's age. Although Silverman has abounding accompany and ancestors in Israel, back she and Isaac were talking about a accessible appointment to Israel, Isaac asked if they could absorb time with "our" family. Isaac explained, "I beggarly our Same Moon ancestors in Kiryat Malachi."
"A new affiliation has been fabricated that will hopefully backpack on into the future," says Silverman.
Title : ‘Same Moon’ activity brings Tucson, Israeli families together
Description : August 28, 2014 By Sheila Wilensky, AJP Associate Editor At an Aug. 17 affair at the Tucson Jewish Association Center, bounde...