This week, more than 150 women, including six from Birmingham, have been on the third annual Heart to Heart mission, an emotional journey through Israel organized by The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).

The Heart to Heart mission is a project of JFNA's National Women's Philanthropy and it is designed to introduce the wonders of Israel to a broad group of women and to deepen their involvement in the Jewish Federation movement.

The Birmingham women are pictured here at Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market. From left, are Amanda Weil, a BJF Board member and Jewish Community Relations Coalition Co-Chair, who will be joining The BJF staff on March 1; Sally Friedman, Executive Director of The Birmingham Jewish Foundation; Caren Seligman, The BJF's Director of Outreach, who is on her first trip to Israel; Sheryl Kimerling, VP for Campaign for National Women's Philanthropy and a board member of Jewish Federations of North America; Hilary Gewant, this year's BJF Joanie Plous Bayer Young Leadership Award Winner and a member of The BJF Board, and Brittany Saag, an ex-officio member of The BJF Board.

Our Birmingham group was assembled as a mix of seasoned and emerging leaders as one more reflection of The BJF's Inter-Generational Leadership Model. The goal of this new model is to create opportunities for younger, emerging leaders to share responsibilities and spend time with more seasoned Federation leaders. It's part of a new movement at The BJF known as LIFT -- Leadership Initiatives For Tomorrow. BJF Executive Director Richard Friedman also has been in Israel and joined the group for some of its programming.

A highlight came Tuesday night when the Birmingham delegation visited Rosh Ha'ayin, Birmingham's Sister City in Israel. Among other activities, they enjoyed entertainment at the city's Kimerling Center, which was built in the late 1970s with funding from Max and Tillie Kimerling, grandparents of Sheryl's husband Jon. For four members of the group, this was their first visit to Rosh Ha'ayin and it provided a framework for sharing with them the remarkable story of The BJF's 30 year partnership with Rosh Ha'ayin and the many ways in which both communities have benefited.

Particularly meaningful was watching Amanda and Brittany, both 26, sitting in a circle dialoguing with a group of older teens from Rosh Ha'ayin. Encouraging the next generation of BJF and Rosh Ha'ayin leaders to commit themselves now to the continuation of The BJF-Rosh Ha'ayin partnership is one of our top Federation priorities.

DOUBLED IN SIZE

This year, the Heart to Heart mission has doubled in size. This unique journey has included inspiring visits to Jewish Federation-supported projects, intimate meetings with women throughout Israel's cultural, social and political spheres and up-close views of some of Israel's most beautiful cities and landmarks. Birmingham, with six women participating, has the largest per capita delegation on the trip.

Many of the women on the trip, as well as Israelis the group has met with, are familiar with the work of The BJF through Update. Sheryl, through her leadership roles in Jewish Federations of North America and National Women's Philanthropy, has recruited Update readers from throughout the country. People in Rosh Ha'ayin were especially appreciative of receiving Update and talked about how it has further strengthened the connection between our two communities.

The mission agenda includes time in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and smaller cities, such as Jaffa and the art-rich and spiritually-inspiring town of Tzfat. The women have been meeting with a a mix of Israeli business experts, artists, community leaders, philanthropists, politicians and athletes, from former Israeli Defense Forces and government spokesperson Col. (Res.) Miri Eisen to members of the 2012 Israeli Summer Olympic team.

In addition, the women visited program sites managed by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint Distribution Committee, two agencies funded by the Jewish Federation movement. The Birmingham group also will visit the Israel Crisis Management Center (also known as SELAH), an agency funded by The BJF that provides support services to immigrants who've been affected by terror and other forms of tragedy.

With both volunteer leaders and Federation professionals participating from throughout the country, Heart to Heart has afforded our Birmingham women an opportunity to network, learn more about what other communities are doing and create connections that will be of value in the future.