Shalom Haverim! Two very special friends of Maryland asked me to deliver greetings to you from Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. I just finished up meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence.  He is so impressed with the work you are doing to make Maryland a leader among states, and a global leader in… read more

Greetings from historic Amman, Jordan.  Jordan is not only a critically important strategic ally of the United States and Israel, it also happens to be looking to innovation as a primary strategy for job creation.  Innovation is also at the center of our Administration’s strategy to further economic growth – and therefore create jobs and expand opportunity in Maryland. … read more

By Sara Amin How do you and your family celebrate birthdays? When you’re very young, maybe there are arts and crafts, moon bounces and games with classmates and neighbors. When you get a bit older, perhaps you see a concert, do a little shopping or enjoy wine-tasting with friends of many years. No matter what, you celebrate the mark… read more

By Rebecca Weinstock We sat on logs facing a field of trees and tall grass at Neot Kedumim, a nature reserve that recreates Biblical landscapes. Two dozen young adults in their mid-20’s listened attentively as Doron, our Israeli guide, taught us the Hebrew word for responsibility - achrayut. Doron explained that achrayut is a special word. It begins with… read more

By Suzy Liebman Committee member, Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership and Israel and Overseas Just a few weeks ago, my husband, David, and I traveled with the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership mission to Ashkelon. We had some amazing experiences: learned traditional Ethiopian dancing at an Ethiopian English class funded through the Partnership, worked with teen volunteers who address pressing social needs in Ashkelon, enjoyed… read more

By Samantha B. Silver Being Jewish was always something I appreciated because it set me apart from other people. It made me unique and even in my younger years was something that I thought made me special. From history to culture to music, Judaism has always been a strong part of the way I see myself. Of course, in… read more

Hopkins Hillel 1/2/2012: So much has happened in the last 48 hours and our group is thoughtful, cooperative and having a wonderful time together. Israel has experienced significant rainfall this winter which was badly needed and thankfully we have experienced none of it since our arrival.  In the north we experienced balmy weather that allowed us to put our… read more

Every year, Baltimore sends a few bus loads of college students from Hopkins University, UMBC and Towson University on a Birthright trip. Read a recap of the first few days below: Hopkins Hillel: by Debbie Pine, Executive Director We have arrived safely and our trip is off to a fabulous start.  We breezed through security in Newark and started… read more

After being inspired by Jewish Volunteer Connection’s annual Mitzvah Day, volunteers in Ashkelon began Christmas by participating in their own mitzvah projects. Einav Koren, a volunteer coordinator in Ashkelon, recaps the day below. Our Mitzvah Day’s had one objective - to collect as much hair as possible. Organized in collaboration with Zichron Menachem - The Israeli Association for the… read more

I recently had the pleasure of coming to Baltimore for a week, to learn about THE ASSOCIATED, its agencies, and how the organization betters the Jewish community. It was an amazing opportunity for me to garner ideas that I will share with the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Israel, where I have worked for 12 years. I came here… read more