In February, Jewish Community Relations Council Assistant Director David Sklar and Marshawn Wolley, a Lecturer at the O’Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, joined a delegation of nine other communities for Partnership2gether Western Galilee’s inaugural Community Opinion Leaders Trip to Israel.

The eight-day trip, organized jointly by U.S. and Israeli Partnership professionals and lay leaders, was meant to provide a first opportunity to travel to Israel for general community leaders who have not had an opportunity to do so. Each community opinion leader was accompanied by a Jewish community professional from their local community. 

David and Marshawn have had a long professional history working together on numerous city and state wide issues in their respective professional and volunteer capacities.

The trip focused on providing an opportunity to experience Israel through Partnership. During their time on the ground, David and Marshawn visited numerous towns, kibitzing, and villages in the Western Galilee including Naharyia, Rosh Hanikra, Akko, Kibbutz Hanita, and Sheich Danun; met with local volunteer, professional, and government leaders; and also visited and experienced the history, culture, and sites in the Golan Heights and Tel Aviv. Finally, they spent a meaningful Shabbat in Jerusalem where they visited the Old City and experienced the tastes, people, and sounds of Ben Yahuda Street and the Machane Yehuda Market. 

The Community Opinion Leaders Trip was generously supported by Partnership2gether, Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, and the Jewish Community Relations Council.