As part of the South Palm Beach County Partnership 2000 Women to Women program, ten women from Kiryat Bialik, Boca Raton's city sister in Israel, recently had the opportunity to visit Boca Raton. Their travels, like the trip I made to Israel in October with nine other women from Boca, highlighted the fact that women worldwide are connected and share the same concerns for their parents, spouses, children, friends and loved ones.

The Israeli women spent five days touring Boca Raton and South Florida. The women walked in the Lupus walkathon on the FAU campus, attended Super Sunday, participated in Friday night services at B'nai Torah Congregation and toured the South Palm Beach County Jewish Federation campus, Miami Jewish Museum and Holocaust Memorial. In a magical evening hosted by Ann Kellman, the women from Kiryat Bialak and Boca Raton had the opportunity to socialize, catch up and share friendships. Time was also set aside for Town Center Mall, the Festival Flea Market, Lincoln Road and Atlantic Avenue.

In one of the most special events of the visit, the Israeli women spoke to the 7th and 8th grade classes at Donna Klein Jewish Academy. Two of the women are teachers and shared a book that the children had written about the Second Lebanon War. The women explained that despite the tensions the children of Israel are just like the children here in Boca; they play sports, text message, have play station, facebook and do all the same after school activities. The middle school students asked many questions and the women really brought home the message of the universality of children everywhere.

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During our October visit to Israel, the Boca representatives asked the women from Kiryat Bialik what we could do to help improve their community. The women unanimously agreed that the city is in need of a new playground where children and their parents can congregate. Kiryat Bialik has set aside the land and agreed to maintain and landscape the area and the women from our trip are working hard to raise funds to purchase the playground equipment. If you would like to donate toward this worthy project please send funds to Gail Marlow, Jewish Federation of SPBC, 9901 Donna Klein Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33428 or call or email Gail at 561-852-3163 or gailm@bocafed.org.

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