Seven years ago, Minneapolis joined forces with a city known for its citrus groves and scientific innovation: Rehovot, Israel.

Through Partnership2Gether, Minneapolis and Rehovot became “sister cities,” entering a partnership aimed at strengthening bonds between Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora. Through programming like travel opportunities, artist exchanges, and book clubs, participants have connected with Israeli peers in exciting new ways.

In honor of seven years of this exciting partnership, we’re sharing seven P2G moments that had us kvelling:

1 | Teens supporting teens Through ConnecTeen, groups of teens from Minneapolis and Rehovot built virtual connections through bi-monthly meetings and a very lively Whatsapp thread. Together, they dove into topics about life in their respective cities, how the pandemic is affecting them, and learned about issues facing Israel and the US. The conversations weren’t always easy—sometimes they ended in tears—but in the end, this made their relationships stronger. We found it particularly heartwarming to see teens stand up for religious pluralism on social media—something they may not have done before these interactions— and watch our local teens get a better understanding of the war in Israel through direct communication with their new friends in Israel.

2 | A diverse and committed group of volunteers. The friendships formed through P2G are made possible by the amazing P2G Steering Committee, who volunteer their time, open their homes, and together, represent the diverse tapestry of Israeli society.

3 | A book club that’s more than a book club. With the help of P2G, Darchei Noam connected with the Berman Shul in Rehovot to start a quarterly book club. The two communities clicked—their conversations moved past just the books they were reading, and real relationships formed outside of the meetings. 5 years later , the two groups are so motivated to continue meeting, they no longer need the P2G staff support—the relationship is now their own.

4 | The opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Rehovot. We’re beyond grateful to the city of Rehovot, who has been so supportive of this partnership by always helping where help is needed and providing hours and hours of staff time. Minneapolis hit the jackpot when we were partnered with a city as warm and embracing as Rehovot.

5 | P2G participants in Minneapolis and Rehovot initiated and implemented Cousins in the Living Room, a forum for frank and open discussion that has been adapted by other P2G communities. Cousins in the Living Room speaks to the core of the Partnership2Gether mission: building a stronger, human to human connection between Israelis and Americans. Discussions have ranged from anti-Semitism, to elections, to marriage, and during COVID the program transitioned to Zoom, allowing for these conversations to happen on a global level.

“Do you think all Jews should move to Israel?” one American teen asked at a 2019 Cousins in the Living room discussion.

“Not all Jews need to move to Israel,” answered an Israeli participant, “but there is a place in Israel for all Jews.”

6 | It’s hard to pick just one moment from 248, but we’re still kvelling over the first 248 global summit that took place here in Minneapolis. A refresher: 248 is an international program that helps young leaders get new Jewish ideas off the ground in their communities. In 2017 we put out feelers for interest in this opportunity and the response was incredible—35 global participants signed up and gathered in Minneapolis for the first annual global summit. And our community showed up, volunteering to host strangers... who quickly became friends! (P.S. 248 is accepting applications right now!)

7| Connecting and commemorating through food. When faced with the challenge of hosting a virtual Yom Hazikaron commemoration, the P2G steering committee pivoted the program to a virtual event called A Taste of Memories, where mothers of fallen soldiers remembered their children through their favorite recipes. The event was touching for all involved—especially the bereaved mothers.

Cheers to 7 years of P2G! We want to hear from you—What has you kvelling? What would you like to see P2G do next? Take our short survey.