Yerucham Mayor Visits Miami
In 2007, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Miami’s Jewish community established a long-term partnership with Yerucham, an Israeli town located in the Negev Desert that is home to approximately 10,000 people. Over the last five years, the partnership has blossomed and resulted in a variety of programs that are enabling residents of both communities to share ideas and learn from each other. At the beginning of November, Yerucham Mayor Michael Biton visited our city to reinforce the partnership and thank Miami for our support and friendship. Mayor Biton recently succeeded Yerucham Mayor and military hero Amram Mitzna, who was instrumental in the original implementation of the Miami-Yerucham partnership.
“The partnership is about building a global Jewish family,” Biton explained. “It is a way to strengthen both communities.”
Biton knows a lot about developing communities: he holds an M.A. in Management of Nonprofit and Community Organizations from The Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz M.A. Programs of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in Behavioral Studies and Hebrew Literature from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. As a volunteer, Michael was instrumental in founding, and is Chairman of, the Atid-BaMidbar Association for Community Change through Jewish pluralism. He also co-founded and is Chairman of the Tzeirim BeYerucham Association, which promotes young leadership and community involvement in Yerucham.
These experiences helped him appreciate the importance of existing programs that develop people-to-people relationships between residents of Yerucham and Miami. One example is the ShinShin program, which brings young emissaries from Yerucham to our community for 10 months. These recent high school graduates from Israel visit Jewish day schools and agencies in Miami to promote cultural and educational connections. The program enriches the lives of the emissaries while simultaneously bringing an increased awareness of Israel to our community.
Other programs that have developed through the Miami-Yerucham partnership are specifically designed to help Yerucham overcome the unique challenges it faces due to its size and location. Because of the city’s relative isolation, Yerucham has struggled in the past to keep residents there long-term, as do other communities in Israel’s Negev region. “In the last six years, we have encouraged students to study at Ben-Gurion University; and we have helped them find jobs and social life through the Ayalim program,” explained Mayor Biton. “We have also decided to support and invest in our youth. Thanks to the Miami partnership, we are able to provide enrichment programs for youth at risk, as well as art, music, dance and radio programs for the young people of Yerucham.”
Above all, Biton expressed his gratitude to Federation and the Jewish community of Miami. “Everyone who contributes to Federation is performing a true act of Zionism,” he said. “Whether they know it or not, they are a part of miracle in the Negev, the future land of opportunity in Israel.”
To learn more about the Miami-Yerucham partnership, click here or contact Dahlia Bendavid, Director of Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department, at 786.866.8445.
