The Nov 2008 Mission in Kiryat Malachi

Youth counselors thank Phoenix for gift to students

Tucson delegation visit Hofim school to learn about Tafnit

Lunch in Kiryat Malachi

Jill and Herschel Rosenzweig (above left) receive gift from Dvora Atal

Diane Weintraub (above) with gift from Kiryat Malachi

Phyliss Maizlish (above left) receives gift from Dvora Atal (right)

A leader of Ethiopian community speaks at the Yedid Center

Delegation views Kiryat Malachi resident voting for mayor and town council

The Nov 2008 Mission in HOF ASHKELON

Here are pictures from the Phoenix and Tucson visit to Hof Ashkelon and Kiryat Malachi on November 11. Over 70 Americans came for half a day to visit with their Israeli partners, learn about the progress of their programs, and even dedicate a few new projects.

Rachel Barkai, Israel TIPS chair, welcomes Americans

People from the communities got to see where some of their supplemental and regular overseas funds went. Greetings were given by Itai Zeidenberg, Revital Lavy, Yair Farjoun - head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Dvora Attal, Yaffa Cohen, and Rachel Barkai.

Plaques were unveiled at the Hof Ashkelon White Room, the Emergency Night Health Clinic in Kiryat Malachi, and at the Science Center - all recipients of supplemental funding from different TIPS communities. The municipalities gave gifts to some of the major donors of supplemental projects - Herschel and Jill Rosenzweig, Phyllis Maizlish, Diane and Ron Weintraub.

Phyliss Maizlish and daughters view their gift of the White Room

Revital Lavy explains about the Family Treatment Center

Yair Farjoun, Head of Hof Ashkelon Municipal Council, expresses his feeling of connection to TIPS

Yair thanks Phyliss Maizlish for her contribution to the region

Yair thanks Jill and Herschel Rosenzweig for their contributions

Yair Farjoun, receiving the Phoenix plaque

Yair Farjoun, Head of Hof Ashkelon Municipal Council, welcoming the Tucson Delegation

The Tucson Delegation appreciating the words of Yair Farjoun

Mission Report from Ira Kerem

12th Nov: The last 36 hours have been pretty eventful. On the 11th, 70 visitors from Tucson and Phoenix came to visit the region. We organized 3 different simultaneous routes (which is always a challenge) but, except for difficulty sticking to the schedule, the visit went well. People from the communities got to see where some of their supplemental and regular overseas funds went.

Hila Hamami explaining about youth in Hof Ashkelon

Greetings were given by Itai, Revital, Yair Farjoun - the head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Dvora, Yaffa Cohen, and Rachel. Plaques were unveiled at the Hof Ashkelon White Room, the Emergency Night Health Clinic in Kiryat Malachi, and at the Science Center - all recipients of supplemental funding from different TIPS communities.

The municipalities gave gifts to some of the major donors of supplemental projects - Herschel and Jill Rosenzweig, Phyllis Maizlish, Diane and Ron Weintraub.

Phoenix delegation in Hof Ashkelon
Each of the three buses gained a different insight - a panel discussion about children at risk by those who are charged with providing services to that population, a dialogue with youth who benefited from a tiyul to help them better face the tension at the height of the missile attacks on the southernmost part of Hof Ashkelon, a view of Netiv Ha'asara, a stop at the Yedid Center and a description of projects that serve the Ethiopian population, and a view of other projects.

A view of the protective wall between Moshav Netiv Haasara and the Gaza border, to protect the moshav from sniper fire and mortar shells. The wall is not effective against rocket attacks as the rockets go over the wall.

Of course, this was election day and before departure from KM, most of the visitors were taken to a local pollbooth set in the Amal High School and shown how people vote for mayor and for the town council.

Kiryat Malachi resident putting his vote in the election box

Election Report from Ira Kerem

11th November was Municipal Election Day in Kiryat Malachi. The incumbent mayor, Moti Malka, won 85% of the vote - which is definitely an endorsement of his policies which include active participation with TIPS.

Moti Malka posting his vote

There are 13 members of the city council and the counting is not final but it looks like Moti's independent NES party will win 4 or 5 seats; the National Religious Party will win 2 seats; Shas - the Sephardi very religious party-1 or 2 seats; Labor - 1 or 2 seats; Paz - a small independent party - 1 seat; the Ethiopians had two parties and each one won 1 - Beilinish Ayech, a leading figure amongst the Ethiopians who was once part of the partnership's women's leadership program won one of those seats. Ya'akov who volunteers every day in Yedid helping Ethiopians was second on Beilinish's party list and who came to talk to us in the middle of the election campaign was second on the list and just missed winning a seat.

Nadav Weizman, the brother of Ron Weizman, the director of the community center, ran as the candidate of the Likud and finished with only about 15% of the vote. The Likud did not get a candidate into the city council. In any case, the mayor won an overwhelming vote of confidence. Our relationship with him has improved dramatically in the last 3 years and I believe will only become more mutually beneficial in the future.

Municipal Elections 11.11.08

Municipal Election Day has come and gone. Motti Malka (Kadima) will continue for a second term as Mayor of Kiryat Malachi after winning 84% of the vote.

Moti Malka, Mayor of Kiryat Malachi Municipality

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(The Head of Hof Ashkelon, Yair Farjoun, was elected last year in the regional council elections.)

Yair Farjoun, Mayor of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council,

elected last year

Award Given for Art Contest and Calendar

Avigile Gottlieb, TIPS People-to-People Co-Chair, receiving the Award


On November 12, at the Third International Partnership Conference held at Kfar Hamaccabi in Ramat Gan, our TIPS partnership won one of the four "Awards of Excellence" that were presented this year.


Rachel Barkai, TIPS Israel Chair

Avigile, Orit, and Ira Kerem

Since there are 45 partnerships and many programs, this truly was an honor. We won for our art competition/calendar program. It is the first such award that the region has ever won and thanks must be given to everyone who has worked so hard on this project .

Calendar cover

Hundreds of 5th and 6th graders from the 3 US Jewish communities as well as schools in Kiryat Malachi and Hof Ashkelon participated in the contest, which is help in memory of the late Chuck Simpson of Seattle and Netanel Peretz of Kiryat Malachi. The theme of the competition this year came from the song "G-d Gave You As a Present" by Eitan Masouri and David Halfon. Three top pictures from each region were chosen to be in the calendar. If you are from one of these areas and have not gotten a calendar, check with your Federation representative or Dvora in Kiryat Malachi or Revital in Hof Ashkelon.


The translation of the song follows:

CHORUS G-d gave you, as a present
A huge, wonderful thing
G-d gave you a present
Living on this earth

He gave you day and night
Love, hope and a dream
Summer, winter, autumn, spring
And a good soul to look around
He gave you green fields
Flowers and blooming trees
Rivers, brooks and seas
Heaven, moon and stars
G-d gave you..

He gave you high holidays and the Sabbath
He gave you Israel , our fathers' land
Hands and a head to fulfil dreams

He gave you all the wonders
He gave you such beautiful things
To bring kids to this world

Listen to the songs, to see the colours O G-d, so many are your deeds
G-d, give me only one more present
A small but wonderful present G-d,
give me only one more present
Give peace upon the face of this earth

Art City, Kiryat Malachi

In Kiryat Malachi, over 200 teens are involved in Art City, raising the level of all the performing arts and improving the image of the city. Local bands and dance troupes performed for 10,000 enthusiastic and appreciative fans at this year's Festival B'Shekel.