Program Updates

Shalom Parents of Netivot Australia, 2008

My name is Dani Yemini from "Yeladim-Netivot" and I am happy to be the Director of the your kids' programme.

I would like to express my appreciation to you parents for sending your children to participate in the programme, and also to the schools and the heads of the schools and to the shlichim, and most of all to Jeremy Herz, the president of Australia 's B'nei-Akiva, without whose dedication this programme would not have come into being.

The four and a half month journey, upon which we are embarking, got under way today, and we are all full of excitement about what the future holds for us all.

This morning, after a long journey, we opened the programme in Yerushalayim with the youngsters davening, whilst facing the Old City of Yerushalayim and the Kotel. This was certainly a meaningful and exciting opening to the programme.

Your kids arrived for lunch at their schools and were welcomed very warmly by the pupils, with whom they will surely become close friends. Tomorrow morning (Friday), the group will once again get together in Jerusalem for a tour of the Jewish Quarter and to pray at the Kotel.

The first Shabbat will be spent with the youngsters altogether at Kibbutz Migdal Oz, and we look forward to having a beautiful and meaningful Shabbat.

On Sunday, we will be starting our formal studying part of the programme, combining Jewish and secular studies. Our following week's activities will be covered in my next email in two weeks time.

The next Shabbat, 26/27 September, will be spent by the boys and the girls at their schools. I should like to point out that the girls, at Rosh Hashana, will be having their first free time, and I should be grateful if you would see that arrangements are made for them. The first free time for the boys will the the following Shabbat, 3/4 October. If any parents would prefer that we make arrangements for the youngsters, we will, of course, be happy to do so.

I am sure that all 19 kids will have a wonderful time here in Israel and I wish to thank in advance the madrichim, Ryan for the boys and Ella and Michal for the girls, who will be taking very good care of your children.

I shall be updating you every two weeks, including sending pictures. Please feel free to contact us if you have any comments or queries