Baltimore Girls boost LEAP Sales !

Our Ladies Ethiopian Art Project (LEAP) women work on their embroidery all year round but they do not get paid unless their challah covers and wall hangings are sold.

On Tu Bishvat last week our LEAP women were doubly happy to celebrate as they each received a check. Their happiness was due to Olivia Mauer and Alexandra Hyatt of Baltimore who have been helping to sell LEAP embroideries as their bat mitzvah project.

Anyone interested in helping Ashkelon's LEAP ladies by purchasing a gorgeous challah cover can contact Olivia and Alexandra via Jonathan Strausberg at The ASSOCIATED in Baltimore: 410-369-9242 or jstrausberg@associated.org

(nicole)

Mrs T proudly shows off her vivid fuschia and scarlet elephant embroidery, which would look wonderful, framed, and hung in a child's room.

LEAP Challah covers are finished off with satin borders and backing and are sold together with the LEAP sales tag and a photo of the particular artist who made that cover.

The Zager Family of Baltimore support LEAP and went home with two beautiful challah covers

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LEAP, PLEASE WRITE TO LEAPASHKELON@GMAIL.COM

Sheilah & Si Kalderon Visit

Coffee at Ashkelon Marina with Sigal and Nicole

Sheilah and Si Kalderon were in Ashkelon to check out some Baltimore Jewish Community funded projects and see the Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore) and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground.

As VP of the Women's Division at the Associated Sheilah and her husband Si, were particularly interested to hear about LEAP and see the new immigrants at Beit Canada Absorption Center.

Sheilah chooses LEAP work to take home with her With Oriana Hadad at Beit Canada

Above, Oriana explains that Ethiopian new immigrants can stay at the absorption center for up to two years. They live in self contained apartments while they learn Hebrew and adjust to the Israeli way of life.

No visit to Ashkelon is complete without a stroll round the Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore )and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground. The Park is rather dry now because of the drought related water restrictions. Nicole

The Baltimore Crab in the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground

More photos can be seen in the photo album.

"Top Gifts" Mission Enjoys Sunny Ashkelon Winter

Michael Elman (Baltimore) and Alan Marcus (Ashkelon).

The "Top Gifts Mission to Israel and Poland" was in Ashkelon on the 9th and 10th of November as part of a hectic 10 day trip with a non-stop program full of action, excitement and highlight events.

Top Gifts Mission to Israel and Poland -Nov 2008

Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore)

On 9th November, the Top Gifts Mission delegates attended the 13th Memorial Ceremony for the late Yitzhak Rabin, for the 3rd year running. After the ceremony the Mission enjoyed dinner at the home of Shmuel and Leah Pivo, long-time Ashkelon residents.

Anat Weinstein Berkovitz - spokeswoman, Ashkelon Municipality, and Maia Hoffman - Director of Delegations and Special Projects.

After dinner, Levi Shafran talked about his experiences as a pilot, flying one of the planes involved in Operation Solomon - a 36 hour non-stop airlift operation transporting Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991, and showed a short documentary that left many in tears.

LEAP (Ladies Ethiopian Art Project) embroidery was on sale and mission participants were treated to a short talk by ENP Director Dr. Negist Mengesha.

The next morning began with a security briefing from Avi Dichter, and continued with visits to PACT and other projects funded by the Jewish community of Baltimore and the Ashkelon-Baltimore Partnership. The highlight of the morning was the visit to The Michael Lapidus (Park Baltimore) and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground. Many of the TOP GIFTS participants also took part in building the Park and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground, almost a year ago, and were excited to see the green and lush park, and all the playground equipment, all looking its best on that sunny Monday.

Nissim Suissa- Director of Environment, Ashkelon Municipality; with Sigal Ariely

Mission participants admired the ceramic and mosaic plaques made by the Pant-Futrovsky Family Mission, now mounted on a wall in the park, and then made their own hands-on contribution to the Park.

Half the group painted a protective laquer finish on the Exodus ship and the other half helped make the mosaics on the seating.

The tired but happy group took a break for a picnic lunch and a talk by Ashkelon's David Ariel, who came to Israel as a 15 year old illegal immigrant on the ship Exodus.

Suzi Eigenstein translating for David Ariel - Exodus survivor

See more photos of the "Top Gifts Mission" in Ashkelon on the Ashkelon-Baltimore Partnership online album webpage.

( http://picasaweb.google.com/nikirose/TOPGIFTS910Nov08# )

The intrepid Mission participants left Ashkelon and continued southwards for a desert experience. Two more days of the Mission remain....... Nicole