Beginning with Project Renewal and continuing through Partnership 2000, the Jewish community of Montreal is deeply involved in establishing capital projects and support programs that respond to educational, social and cultural needs of the region of Beersheva and Bnei Shimon. At the heart of this warm partnership are the people-to-people connections give members of the partnered communities the opportunity to become more closely connected with one another, reinforcing the ties that link Jews in Canada and in Israel as Am Echad – one people.

The Gesher Chai (Living Bridge) program supports innovative informal educational programs that help build personal and lasting contacts between pupils, students and teachers in Israel and Canada. Twinning Israeli schools with their Canadian counterparts, Gesher Hai activities include Mifgashim (encounters) between Canadian and Israeli student groups, teacher exchanges, and special-interest delegation visits.

Last week, the Kirstein and Elman families of Montreal, who are in Israel to celebrate their daughters' Bat Mitzvahs, took part in a Gesher Chai Mifgash at the Afik School in Beersheva. The Afik School is twinned with Solomon Schechter, the children's school in Montreal.

The families were personally greeted by the school's principal before being treated to a special performance of song and dance by Afik students. After visiting the classrooms and observing several activities, including a music class, a sample of a drama production, and an enrichment activity for a group of gifted children, the Canadian and Israeli children sat together and exchanged experiences.

"It was such a heartwarming experience filled with friendship and emotion. We were so warmly received and the feeling of being Jewish and finding an immediate connection was so alive in the room. It was one of our most unforgettable moments of the trip and we thank the Afik School for this wonderful opportunity," praised Andy Kirstein.