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.

Sue Liebman Visit

13th Nov: Sue Liebman was in Ashkelon for the day to see projects funded by The Associated. Together with Nicole, she visited Harel School to see the Tali program in action.

In the Grade One Tali Science class, the children learnt how oil is made Sue Liebman with the Headmistress of Harel School and two of the Tali teachers

Next stop was Meitar. The renovation of the Meitar building was funded by the Baltimore Jewish Community. From a disused wrecked kindergarden, the building has become an efficient facility for youth-at-risk, offering them a "home away from home", help with studies, as well as many different programs such as horse-riding, computers, music etc.

Sue with David Wolfson of Social Services, at Meitar

Sue was given a tour of the building, saw digital graphic work produced by the students as well as a newspaper they had published themselves. Sue chatted to some of the students about their life and hopes for the future. The center is run by Dafna Maman, and has been in operation for a year. They are still developing another much-needed multi-purpose hall to be used for handicrafts and carpentry.

Sue with David Wolfson of Ashkelon Social Services and Dafna Maman, Head of Meitar

Sue also visited the Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore) and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground and admired the mosaics made by the Plant and Futrovsky Families. Nicole

A view of Park Baltimore "The Michael Lapidus Park" - (looking southwards, from northern end).

"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

Summer fun in Park Baltimore

As part of the summer activities run by Amen and the Youth Council ,our "shinshinim" Liron & Tal and the teens have kept the kids of Ashkelon busy in the afternoons with fun activities in playgrounds around the city. Here they are on the green lawn in The Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore) and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground where everyone is enjoying art and sports activities. Nicole

High in the Sky

The things I do for the Park !

Last week, together with our professional photographer, I was lifted up in the air, high above the park, on a crane - to take birds' eye view photos of our Michael Lapidus Park (Park Baltimore). It was great to see how beautiful it is from above. It took 2 seconds for the children to notice us on the crane and they were posing for us ...

These are some of my pictures, we are still waiting for the professional photos. Enjoy!

This Week In Park Baltimore (The Michael Lapidus Park)

I was in the Michael Lapidus Park (Baltimore Park) twice this week. The park is looking wonderful, the grass is green and growing well, all the plants are flowering, the trees are starting to give a little shade. The park is always full of children running, climbing, playing on the equipment in the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground, riding bicycles on the paths, flying kites, playing ballgames and generally enjoying our beautiful park.

I hope everyone from Baltimore who took part in the Communal Build Day on 26th December 2007 will one day have a chance to visit and see the park again, a beautiful green space providing a wonderful environment for Ashkelonians to relax and enjoy themselves with their children. The Michael Lapidus Park, with the wonderful Lyn Stacie Getz Playground, is a real asset to Ashkelon!

Lyn Stacie Getz Playground