To: Members of the Israel Ashalim Sub-Committee and Invitees Cc: Israel Committees I am excited to share some of the experiences I had when I was in Israel at the end of January. I got to spend four full days in meetings and in the field with JDC-Ashalim senior staff, and to see first hand some of the remarkable work they do. We visited several of JDC-Ashalim’s flagship initiatives for children and youth at risk, and their families. Much as I (and, I hope, you) appreciate and enjoy the written updates we get, there is nothing like visiting the children and families we serve, and seeing how JDC-Ashalim's programs change lives each day. I arrived just before Israel announced the unilateral cease fire to Operation Cast Lead. There was great tension throughout the country, as more and more cities came in range of the newer Qassam missiles. It felt like the whole country had clenched teeth, and I can only imagine the additional stress this put on children. In Jerusalem, I visited JDC-Ashalim's Better Together A-Tur neighborhood, and Susan’s House, part of JDC-Ashalim's youth entrepreneurship It's ...