The Melton-Gandel Delegation in Washington
Gilad Golani, Community Shaliach
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

"…This was certainly a pure "Taglit" visit for Israelis as we discovered the Jewish world outside of Israel" - member of the Melton/Gandel delegation from Beit Shemesh, March '08 in Washington DC.

Last week we hosted a pioneer project, the first one of its kind, to enable students in a Florence Melton Adult Mini-School site in the US and a Gandel Institute class from our partner community in Israeal to come together and study Jewish texts, engage in dialogue and examine in a pluralistic manner a variety of important issues that face both communities.

The delegation from Greater Washington's partner community Beit Shemesh/Mate Yehuda included a group of fourteen people with very diverse backgrounds, from liberal secular Kibutzniks from Tzora to Dati'im from Ramat Beit Shemesh.  They all participated in a weekly education program in Israel that parallels Washington's Melton program. 

One of the major insights we gained during this week is that study of Jewish theological concepts as they unfold in the Bible, together with contemporary Israeli texts and leadership concepts, provide a great platform for dialogue between Israelis and Jews in North America. During the week the group not only had the opportunity to meet and study with their counterparts on the Melton program, but also to explore first-hand the Jewish Community in the Washington area, participate in "Conversation Israel" at our annual Israel Expo and meet the Partnership 2000 Committee.  They also met and toured facilities with leaders of several Jewish agencies on the Rockville "campus" and visited four synagogues representing different ideological streams of Judaism.  A panel discussion with rabbis from each movement led to an open and lively discussion of issues in Israel and the American Jewish community.

The connection between our communities was made apparent when tragedy struck in Israel during our week together.  We were informed about the terrible terrorist attack in Merkaz Harav, where a young cousin of one of the delegation members was wounded.  The group was deeply moved during Kabalat Shabbat services at Kesher Israel in Georgetown when prayers were recited and the names of the dead and wounded in the yeshiva were read.

This program offered our two communities the opportunity to begin a dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora in an open, trans-denominational, intellectually stimulating environment.  We hope to send a reciprocal delegation from Washington next year to continue this valuable connection.  

This program would not have been so successful without the staff and facilitators from the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.  Toda Raba to: Avi West, Lynn Arons, Jackie Land, Jonathan Brodie, Erica Brown, Ida Singelenberg & Carol Ragsdale and the P2K staff in Israel: Shimku El Ami and Yogev Nave.