Aug 9, 2011
Federation’s Partner City of Pardes Channa-Karkur Dedicates Dance Studio
A completely renovated dance studio Pardes Channa-Karkur, Israel was recently dedicated in a special ceremony. The dance studio hosts a unique Ethiopian dance program for Ethiopian-Israeli youth.
Two years ago, dancers and teachers Oriana Azizollahoff and Renee Ricca set up a philanthropic fund through The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. After contributing $1,000 a month to the fund through proceeds from their Pilates classes, the women used the money to fund the Ethiopian dance program. After a year of operation, both women visited the program on separate occasions and decided to send additional funding to renovate a room in the Fidel Youth Program to serve as a dance studio. This summer they saw the dance studio in all its beauty when Orianna Azizollahoff and her family traveled to Israel for a dedication ceremony.
During the moving ceremony, Azizollahoff taught a modern dance class to the girls in the Ethiopian dance troupe. “The girls were very happy and performed beautifully. More importantly, they all felt so proud of being a part of this endeavor,” said Azizollahoff.
Mayor of Pardes Channa-Karkur Chaim Gaash, along with many of the people involved in the construction of the studio, were in attendance and spoke about the importance of the studio as a means to unify the community.
In addition to the dance studio, the Fidel Youth Program offers activities such as computer clubs, sports, crafts, music and games. The dance studio and various other programs have been appealing to veteran Israeli teens and helping the Ethiopian community integrate into the general population.
Federation is involved in a partnership with the 2,000 Ethiopian-Israeli residents of Pardes Channa-Karkur, a community of 34,000 located in central Israel. Difficulty adapting to the culture has resulted in special issues for many Ethiopian-Israelis, and Federation is involved in several projects to enhance the well-being and success of the community’s youngsters.
<a "="" href="http://jewishmiami.org/about/departments/israel_overseas/our_partnerships/index.html">Click here to learn more about Federation’s partnerships in Israel and Overseas.
