Photos from Feb, 2010 Steering Committee Meeting in Israel

Members of the TIPS steering committee from Tucson, Kiryat Malachi, Hof Ashkelon, Phoenix and Seattle held their annual winter meeting in Israel. In addition to the regular meeting, we held a retreat from Monday evening to Tuesday afternoon so that we could get to know each other better and acquire skills to work better together as a partnership. The following are some photos taken during the meetings.

Sue Shurgin from Tucson walking through the gardens at the retreat center on the way to Jerusalem. The gardens were lovely, but we had very little time to enjoy them. Sue had been involved in the partnership years ago, but left about 6 years ago when she moved to Sedona. She moved back to Tucson recently and we are delighted that she became active a year ago and is now the Tucson chair.

Our first activity was to get to know someone from across the ocean. Sue and Eddi Yosef, a new member of the committee, interviewed each other. They were to find out something unusual about each other.

Dr. Jaime (Haim) Amsel, the facilitator

Rami Assis, Itai, and Amy Wasser-Simpson, partners in interviewing

Dvora Attal from KM and Ethan B. from Phoenix

Adam T from Phoenix and Eliya Weiss from KM. Eliya first was involved at age 13 when she was sent to a camp near Seattle. She is now an officer in the army and one of the newest members of the TIPS steering committee.

Diane Weintraub receives a birthday cake. To her left is Amalia Lewin from Hof Ashkelon, and to her right is Diane's husband, Ron

Toward the end fo the retreat we did an activity with "string," with each participant pledging how s/he would work to improve trust in the partnership. Pictured are Dvora, Inbal, Sue, and Rami

Dalia Burgana from KM and Dina Tanners from Seattle, co-chairs of TIPS....both in black pant suits
Itai at the entry to the second floor of the Naamat Building

Inbal Attal-Cohen, Young Adult Program Director, busy at work, in the newly renovated 2nd floor of the Naamat building.

Representatives from the KM Youth Council together with Morian Ben David
Meeting with the Mayor of Hof Ashkelon Yair F. and the head of the Social Services and Matnas Maoz
Hof Ashkelon Youth Council President Smadar together with the VP and Hila Levy Hamami, the youth director of Hof Ashkelon

Moshe, Rami, Adi, Amalia, Dina, and Dalia

Moshe Babelpour with two representatives from KM of the Young Adult group, Eliya and Adi

The logo recently created by the Young Adult group in KM which includes the logo of Kiryat Malachi on the left

Hila Kordana explaining pictures of the YA group and the new logo.

A representative from HaPoel Tel Aviv on the left at a KM sports leadership activity

A Sports for All activity in KM, with the leadership group running a sports afternoon for younger kids. Here is a relay race. The teens in the red shirts are the leaders.

Itzhik, head of sports in HA, and a teen assistant, talking about the programs, especially the Kat Regel (mini-soccer) league

The youth advisor from Kibbutz Gvaram and two teens talking about the renovation project at the kibbutz they are working on to create a functional teen center

Meir Shitrit's group played for us at the final dinner when we were treated to another meal by the Ethnic Flavors Taamei Ami group

Ken B presenting a video camera to the Youth of Kiryat M alachi

Sue Shurgin getting some of the tasty food

Ethiopian bread with wonderful seasoning

Figs stuffed with ground meat

Six of the women plus Smadar

An array of great food, Hila K, Yaffa Cohen, Eliya, etc. Members of the YA groups were invited to attend too.

We also saw part of the dance practice of the top dance group of Art City, Tzuza. This group will be in Tucson, and Phoenix for their Yom Haatzmaut celebration and then in Seattle for Lag B'Omer.

Art City dancers stretching during warm ups

Shlomi instructing the group

Dancers warming up to live music from an Art City Band

Eddi at the retreat, talking about working in Partnership

Photography Lessons bring out creativity in KM teens at risk

Bayit Ham is a special place in Kiryat Malachi for teenage girls at risk. It is a safe place for them to go during the day--after school in winters and most of the day and evening in summers. A house mom and social workers help organize activities and help teach the girls to make this place their second home. It has pulled many girls off the streets and help provide better opportunities for them. Over and Above funding has helped this program in the past.

In February as our TIPS steering committee meeting was about to begin, a ceremony was held to open a photo exibit of picture that the girls took during photo classes that they had in their "second home." The exhibit is in the second floor of the Naamat/Yedid building, which is now the Kiryat Malalachi Volunteer Center. You can see some of the pictures and some of the girls and their families in the pictures below.

Photography students and attendees

Speaking for the students

The teacher speaking--she is origially from KM

More Participants and attendees