Baltimore Yeshiva Boys visit Ashkelon

Last weekend 16 yeshiva boys from Baltimore, who are currently participating in different programs all over Israel, gathered in Ashkelon for a weekend with the youth of Yeshivat Torat Chaim. They went to the beach, swam in the sea and visited the antiquities in the Ashkelon National Park, spent time in the Michael Lapides Baltimore Park, enjoyed Oneg Shabbat with the Rabbi and his family, and participated in Shabbat activities with yeshiva boys their age over the Shabbat weekend. The highlight was a kumzits & barbecue after Shabbat was over, with the boys of Yeshivat Torat Chaim, singing and dancing until the early hours . We hope to welcome them again in Ashkelon soon!

The Baltimore Yeshiva boys in Baltimore Park

8th Grade Krieger Shechter Pupils visit Park Baltimore

Yesterday, fifty 8th grade Krieger Shechter pupils and their school principal, Dr Paul Schneider, arrived in Ashkelon to meet with their Gesher Hai (Living Bridge) partners at Rabin-Mekif Daled High School. This is the 7th year in a row that this meeting is taking place in Ashkelon.

The pupils visited the Lynn Stacie Getz memorial playground and the Michael Lapides Park - "Park Baltimore" - built over a year ago as a partnership community project, by 200 Baltimorians (on an Associated Family Mission to Israel) in partnership with 400 Ashkelonians and the municipality of Ashkelon.

The pupils of Krieger Shechter School presented Deputy Mayor Shlomo Cohen, also Chair of the Ashkelon-Baltimore Partnership, with a check - funds collected by them, as their barmitzvah project, for the Lynn Stacie Getz Playground.

Shlomo Cohen thanked the pupils for their generous contribution. Sigal read a personal message from Mayor Benny Vaknin. After the Park visit, the pupils continued on to visit Mekif Daled High School for a beautiful welcoming ceremony, and then left for a visit to Mitzpe Ramon airforce base. See more photos in our album at

http://picasaweb.google.com/nikirose/KriegerShechterInParkBaltimoreAshkelon#

A group photo in front of the lighthouse in the playground area, in memory of Lyn Stacie Getz.

Dr Paul Schneider,Principal of Krieger Shechter and Head of the delegation, with Sigal Ariely and pupils in the park

Shlomo Cohen, Deputy Mayor of Ashkelon, is presented with a cheque by Krieger Shechter pupils

Mosaic Tree Panels for Park Baltimore

An exciting exhibition opened yesterday in the city: A group of Ashkelon artists, trained by Ashkelon's own world-renowned mosaic artist Ilana Shafir, are exhibiting mosaic panels, all with the theme of "The Tree of Eden" . The colorful mosaic wall panels will be mounted on a wall in Park Baltimore after the exhibition.

Nira Portugaly, one of the mosaic artists explained: "The panels are made using Ilana Shafir's original technique which is called 'spontaneous mosaic' whereby scraps of pottery, stones and shells collected from nature, and specially made ceramic elements are all combined together in a spontaneous mosaic creation".

Tova Shafran, one of the mosaic artists, thanked Ilana Shafir and noted that she will celebrate her 85th birthday this week. The panels are a gift from the artists to the city and will be displayed in Park Baltimore after the exhibition.

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

Our Shinshinim prepare for the Holidays

Liron & Tal have been busy preparing for the holidays, working in the kindergartens and schools in Baltimore. See the article in the Baltimore Jewish times : http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/article/israeli_emissaries_light_up_baltimore/http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/article/israeli_emissaries_light_up_baltimore/ 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

Diller teens in Ashkelon

The Diller CSI teens are in Ashkelon for the "summer mifgash"!

It was a joy to see the teens reunite as the Baltimore teens got off the bus at the Teen Center, straight into the arms of the Ashkelon teens. Screaming, hugging, laughing, kissing - it was great to see!

Since the welcome dinner at Rotem's home on the first night, the teens have been kept very busy visiting Givati Brigade, the Halperin old-aged home, Beit Canada absorption center, Gvanim, the tennis center for youth activities, the Ashkelon National Park (archaeology), Nitzanim, and enjoying home hospitality with the Ashkelon teens and their families.

See photos in 5 x Diller albums (link in the right hand margin or):

http://picasaweb.google.com/nikirose

(See more pics of the teens in The Michael Lapidus Park (Baltimore Park) in the first & third albums). Nicole

June-July Visits

Recent visitors from Baltimore:

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Steve Gevarter spent a day with us, together with his son David. They were on a trip to Israel with Chizuk Amona. The first picture shows all of us at lunch - Steve & David Gevarter, Mayor Roni, Deputy Mayor Levi, Dr Alan Marcus, and myself. The second picture shows David Gevarter - trying out Mayor Roni's seat for size.... who knows?!

Later that day the whole Chizuk Amona group came to Ashkelon for a few hours, visited Park Baltimore (which is looking green and lovely) and the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground, and visited Netzach Yisrael congregation.

Marty Waxman was here on a family trip and took the opportunity to stay overnight in the Ashkelon Holiday Inn, and get an update on economic development projects with the help of Eliezer Priel, Alan Marcus, Moty Harel, Iris Liebovich and myself. The group visited two new small businesses that received loans from the Loan Fund sponsored by the partnership.

Devera Routman - "DeeDee", spent nearly a whole week in Ashkelon and we kept her very busy. Amongst other activities, she volunteered at Gan Hofit kindergarten, she spent a morning with Nicole - visiting the Ladies Ethiopian Art Project, met Liron our young shinshin, ate lunch with Dr Sharf at Barzilai Medical Center, visited with Mayor Roni and Deputy Mayor Levi, walked round Park Baltimore and went to check out the Michael Lapides firetruck donated by the Baltimore community, at the Ashkelon fire-station.

Noa Nagar HaLevy - Diller program counselor, who stayed with Devera's daughter Tammy Heyman while she was on the Diller delegation to Baltimore, invited Devera (as well as Yuval, Nicole and myself) to a delicious and bountiful dinner at her lovely apartment, where Devera met Noa's family, admired the incredible sunset and view of Ashkelon from the 5th floor (top of a hill location), and said of the dinner "Of all the fancy restaurants I visited in Israel, this was the best dinner I have eaten during my whole trip". 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