Magic Moments group soon to leave for Baltimore

On Wednesday, "Magic Moments", a Melitz project, held a general rehearsal in front of parents and guests. This delegation of teens from three Ashkelon schools will be leaving in less than a week. Their coordinator is teacher Anat Peled from Mekif Daled, a "Gesher Hai" school.

They will conduct "Soldiers Memorial Day" ceremonies in three synagogues in Baltimore. 

Soldiers Memorial Day in Israel (Yom HaZikaron) is the day before Independance Day (Yom Haatzmaut). Yom Hazikron is the day on which Israel honors its fallen servicemen and women. It's the day we remember the cost of peace, and acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice paid by our fallen soldiers and their families. This is a very small country and so there is almost no-one in Israel who does not have a connection to someone who gave their life for our country. This sad day of remembrance ends with Erev Yom HAatzmaut when we celebrate our independance. 

 

Our first MELITZ Magic Moments Project

Last night we held a meeting with the teens and their parents of our first Magic Moments Project in Ashkelon. The meeting was hosted by Marcelo Burdman, our energetic Gesher Hai (Living Bridge) coordinator.

Magic Moments is a Gesher Hai project run by Melitz, where Ashkelon teens will travel to Baltimore to meet and connect with their peers, learn about the community and participate in Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom HaZikaron ceremonies.

Sigal welcomed the participants to the partnership family. Alexandra Benjamin of Melitz explained the background to the project, and Magic Moments Ashkelon coordinator Anat Peled gave detailed information about the project and answered questions from the parents.

The evening ended with a video-conference with our Baltimore partners, only the beginning of a soon-to-be close connection! The video conference was made possible by the donation of internet cams from Baltimore to our Gesher Hai project. Marcelo hooked up the cam to a projector and so we were able to speak to Ariela Lerman and the heads of the communities participating in this project.

Magic Moments Ashkelon 2011 participants with Marcelo, Anat & Sigal

Sigal listens as Magic Moments Ashkelon coordinator Anat Peled addresses the parents and teens

Marcelo, overseeing the video conference with Ariela Lerman and our partners in Baltimore