JCC of Chicago’s celebration of Israel’s sixtieth year of statehood provides us with an opportunity to deepen the impact that Israel already has on our community, lay leaders, and staff. It will strengthen our connection to Israel as a dream fulfilled, a spiritual homeland, and a modern political entity that will impact our Jewish future for all time. From the moment of Israel’s birth as a nation, JCC has placed our Jewish homeland at the forefront of our thoughts and deeds. We regard Israel as central to our individual and collective Jewish identities. In our programs - from early childhood to day camp to overnight camp to adult education - Israel is integrated into the JCC curriculum and daily activities.

Israel is such a vibrant and ever-changing society. We continue to be proud and amazed at its contributions to the world through science, technology, education, agriculture and the arts. Through dialogue with Israelis grappling with shaping the modern state of Israel, we can discover commonalities and learn from one another. This is why JCC of Chicago is actively engaging with our Partnership 2000 city of Kiryat Gat and the Shafir/Lachish region in order to strengthen our living relationship with modern Israel.

Israel is a place where Jewish values are incorporated into every dimension of life- secular, cultural, political, economic, and religious. Learning more about how Jewish values are woven into the very fabric of everyday life in Israel will nurture our own JCC efforts to do the same.

The Israel @ 60 Experience will be evident in JCC of Chicago in a variety of ways and places. Our newly designed JCC logo that includes Israel @ 60 demonstrates our continued commitment to Israel and to bringing Jewish values to life. Through banners, posters and exhibits at each of our sites, we will bring Israel to life and express the JCC of Chicago connection to Israel.

Food in Israel tells the story of immigration, thriving agriculture and a sophisticated restaurant scene. It is the story of a country that is constantly changing, but where local ethnic food traditions and family heritage are often the primary source of inspiration for Israeli chefs and cooks at home. We will have the opportunity to partake in five different taste events throughout the year at various JCC locations.

Thousands of day and overnight campers will enjoy an Israel experience during swimming lessons. The aquatics program is designed to acquaint participants with the geography of Israel and the importance of water as a resource in Israel. Campers will experience swimming in five different locations in Israel: Kinneret, Luna Gal, Dead Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The locations will be introduced by the instructors and reinforced with a printed piece. Instructors will include appropriate cues as well as geographic information in their lessons. For example, there will be floating in the Dead Sea, swimming with dolphins in the Red Sea, and the like.

Israel @ 60 will be explored in our early childhood programs through thematic developmental curriculum. The children will build a relationship with Israel by discovering similarities and differences in relation to its people, culture and geography

Plans are underway for a one-day citywide Junior Maccabi-style event for children in our sports and leagues program who will participate in a variety of Israeli sports. Participants will learn about Israeli athletes competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as well as the upcoming 2009 Maccabiah in Israel.

A major focus of a newly created Israel @ 60 curriculum will be to show children in our programs what is the same and what is different about Israel and the rest of the world through science, arts and crafts, cooking, music, games, and more. This curriculum is designed to provide programming choices that will be implemented one time a month in our After School Recreation programs or used for Israeli themed Vacation Days. Each site will receive a JCC of Chicago Israel @ 60 program in a box! Each box will contain subject files, and each subject file will have an activity description, goal of activity, materials needed, and activity instruction. Our hope is that this curriculum will be used just as is or as a way to spark more creative ideas that will be a good fit for a particular site.

While Israel's 60th anniversary is an important milestone event to celebrate, our plans are part of a long term commitment to strengthening our connections to Israel. We hope that you will take advantage of the opportunities described here and others that we will develop to learn more about Israel in enjoyable and creative ways.