In 2007 the Center Makor and the Russian Jewish Elite Academy (RJEA), in conjunction with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Oranim Academic College, launched a new project for American Russian Jewish families entitled Family–to–Family. As part of this program, the RJEA’s b’nai mitzvah students, and their families, visited Israel in June 2008. They experienced first-hand the coexistence between sabras (native Israelis) and olim chadashim (new immigrants) from the former Soviet Union. The second phase of this ongoing project took place in July 2009, when Russian Jewish families from Boston hosted Russian Jewish families from Haifa. The b’nai mitzvah students, and their families, who traveled to Israel in 2008, were among those who hosted the Israeli families in their homes. We have arranged for the program participants from Haifa to tour Boston and participate in Shabbaton and workshops during their visit. Israeli families also visited New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C., met with families in these cities and will were hosted by Russian Jewish families from those cities.

During the new round of Family to Family in June of 2010 Russian Jewish families from Boston visited participating families in Haifa, Israel and then in 2011 the Israeli families will come to their partners in Boston.