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Promoting peace and friendship
By Katie Butler Staff Writer // katieb@nwanews.com
Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007
BENTONVILLE — Not often do you see an Israeli flag being paraded around a northwest Arkansas gym or 200 kids exchanging “ shaloms” with Israeli teenagers.
As part of a movement promoting peace and friendship between the youth of Israel and North America, the Tzofim Friendship Caravan performed at the Boys and Girls Club on Friday afternoon. The group is on a three-month-long tour in the United States.
The coast-to-coast caravan is made up of 10 Israeli students, all 17 years old, who just completed their junior year in high school, and two leaders who chaperone the troop as they travel across the country.
“ We were all leaders in the Tzofim (Israeli scouts ) in Israel, and we taught kids twice a week about values and character traits through games, ” caravan member Olfi Lifshitz said. “ It is very important to us to bring true Israeli culture to American kids, so they don’t just learn what they see in the news. ”
The group performed songs in English, Yiddish and Hebrew, coordinating the singing with a variety of dances. Audience participation was motivated by songs performed, such as the “ Spongebob Squarepants” theme song and “ Wanna Be Like You ” from “ The Jungle Book. ”
Kealie McClain, 6, was one of many kids who danced with caravan members during some of the songs.
“ I liked all of it, especially the dancing, ” McClain said. “ This was not a normal day. ”
Not all those attending the 2 p. m. performance were Boys and Girls Club participants, however. Russ and Louise Bonacker attended the Tzofim’s performance on the Bentonville Square last summer and were eager to attend this year’s events.
Wanting to experience the Jewish culture to learn more about Christianity’s roots, the Bonackers have traveled to Israel twice in the past, and the couple did not hesitate to join parents on the bleachers in the Boys and Girls Club gym when they heard the teenage group would be in Bentonville again.
“ We’ve about worn out their CD we bought last year, ” Louise Bonacker said. “ They’re really an exceptional group of young people, and it’s really great for these kids here to experience a culture apart from their own — we all need that. ”
The caravan traveled to Bentonville after a performance in Little Rock on Thursday. The Friday events in Bentonville, at 2 p. m. at the Boys and Girls and at 7 p. m. at Northwest Arkansas Community College’s White Auditorium, were sponsored by Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville with the Arkansas Jewish Federation.
Mark Levine of Congregation Etz Chaim is a former Boys and Girls Club Board member, and he set up the event at the club.
“ The Boys and Girls club wants to bring in more cultural activities for the kids, ” Levine said. “ I was especially excited to see the American and Israeli youth dancing and talking with each other. How often do you see that ?”
Levine said the congregation, which opened two years ago, wants to help integrate the Jewish culture into the community, and sponsoring the Friendship Caravan is an excellent way to promote that unity.
For more information about Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville, visit www. etzchaimnwa. org. Information about the Tzofim Friendship Caravan can be found online at www. israelscouts. org.