​News and Media

Partnership2Gether Rehovot – Minneapolis present 10 years together

To celebrate 10 years of friendship and connection, the Partnership created a musical clip to the tune of "Friends" – check it out!

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Partnership2Gether movie entitled: "You Can't Ask That"

A movie was created as part of our P2G@10 celebration, entitled "You Can't Ask That" -  Hear from P2G members from Minneapolis and Rehovot about what Partnership means to them

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Partnership2Gether: Rehovot and Minneapolis

What is Partnership2Gether (P2G)?  It is a global community that connects 300 Jewish communities around the world in 43 partnerships.  Each partnership joins a city in Israel with one or more cities outside of Israel.  The relationship usually starts between two cities and may add another city in a different part of the world. These partnerships provide opportunities for communities to connect and for interpersonal relationships to flourish. Through hands-on projects and personal interactions that engage thousands of Israelis and other Jews each year, individuals and communities across the world learn from one another and experience the enriching reciprocal benefits of being part of the global Jewish family.

​5 things we can learn from Partnership2Gether about connecting virtually

​Since long before COVID-19 was affecting our daily lives, Partnership2Gether (P2G) was fostering important virtual connections from Rehovot to Minneapolis. Ask any one person living in the age of coronavirus what the biggest change in their life has been recently, and we’re willing to bet that “connecting only virtually” is right at the top of their list. But if you’re one of the many participants in MJF’s P2G programs, you’re no stranger to tuning into Zoom to meet with someone halfway across the world—someone who’s come to be a friend after all the virtual hours you’ve logged together.  

A Week of Cultural Exchange and Adventure in Rehovot

​This week, 20 students and staff from the Heilicher Jewish Day School (HJDS) in Minneapolis embarked on an exciting cultural exchange with their 37 counterparts from the Katzir Junior High School's diplomacy class in Rehovot. The students from both schools participated in a series of enriching activities designed to foster friendship and connection between the two groups. The connection between the schools was made through Partnership2Gether of the Jewish Agency, which runs over 10 programs a year connecting the Jewish community in Minneapolis with the Municipality of Rehovot.

P2G Minneapolis Business Delegation Visits Rehovot to Strengthen Connections

After 2 years of virtual connections between businesspeople from Minneapolis and Rehovot, 10 participants arrived in Rehovot for a week-long visit. During the visit, the participants networked with Rehovot businesspeople, volunteered and visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Kibbutz Holit

P2G Co-chair Gayle Kaplan, Teaches Weizmann Students about Diaspora Jewry

Gayle Kaplan, co-chair of Partnership2Gether Rehovot – Minneapolis, taught an English class at Weizmann Elementary School in Rehovot, where her 5th grade class from Bet Shalom religious school in Minneapolis has been corresponding with the Israeli students. During her visit, she shared insights about Jewish life in Minneapolis, exchanged letters and gifts, and enjoyed a performance by the school choir.  

Tikvatenu III Visits Rehovot

​The Tikvatenu III delegation from the Jewish community of Minneapolis visited Rehovot, marking their third solidarity mission in a year. They engaged in various activities, including volunteering with local NGOs, meeting with city representatives, and learning about recent developments in Israel. The visit highlighted their dedication to Israel and reinforced the bonds between the two communities.

Strengthening Connections, Expanding Collaborations

The Partnership’s Rehovot steering committee recently returned from a significant visit to Minneapolis, the first visit since October 7. During the joint steering committee meetings, ten projects were approved for the coming year, including several new projects. Future initiatives were also discussed as well as ways to cooperate with other organizations.

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Coming Home to Minneapolis: A Journey of Connection, Pain, and Unexpected Healing 

The last time I visited the Jewish community in Minneapolis, I was a 17-year-old teenager, participating in the P2G youth exchange program. This May, nearly a decade later, I returned – no longer a high school student, but a young professional, representing my community in Israel as a member of the P2G Steering Committee.

The experience this time was profoundly different. Perhaps it was my age, or the way my perspective has changed over the years. But one thing remained exactly the same: the boundless warmth, generosity, and spirit of action that characterizes the Jewish community of Minneapolis.

The Partnership2Gether Veteran’s Breakfast by Seth Togal

This past week, I was invited to participate in the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s “Partnership2Gether” (P2G) Veteran Exchange Program breakfast.

About 50 members of the Twin Cities Jewish community met at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis’ office to hear six IDF (Israel Defense Force) soldiers share their personal stories of resilience, unity and service, since the October 7th attack.

Mark S. told our group that his youngest daughter was born 15 days after the Oct 7th attack, and within three days he left for active duty. He shared that four months of duty felt like multiple eternities. In the 18 days between the attack and his active duty beginning, his business was turned into a calming space for the traumatized and a donation center for supplies for soldiers.