Visiting Israeli students enjoy their look at area

The heat poured down onto Love Park, where the twenty-four young Israelis from Migdalei Tel Aviv (The Towers of Tel Aviv) whirled about in front of the lunchtime crowd, singing and celebrating their country's independence and their hometown's birthday.

The eight- through 10th-grade performers came from Tel Aviv, Philadelphia's sister city, as part of 10-day trip to the region.

The Tel Aviv parents and students paid for the flights and spending money, and the Jewish Federation paid for other costs in the United States.

"Diplomats in Washington are very important, but in the end, it's the relationship between the people that really makes a difference," said Nancy Gilboy, president of the International Visitors Council, one of the groups that helped bring the students to Philadelphia.

Students from the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, along with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Saligman Middle School, supported the group once they arrived.

The Tel Aviv students were unsure how a lunchtime Philadelphia audience would receive them.

"It was very weird [initially], but we could see that people liked us, even though it was very hot," said Donna Shpungin, 15. She said the performers feared at first that they would be unable to connect with the audience because of language and cultural differences.

The group's choir manager, Elinor Aminof, said: "They didn't know what it would be like to perform, but they felt people were enjoying and accepting."

The students have been busy, spending almost as much time educating and learning as they have performing. As officially recognized youth ambassadors of the city of Tel Aviv, they travelled to Jewish schools around the Philadelphia region, speaking to students, giving presentations, and mingling with their peers.

They also toured Washington, said Beth Razin, manager of the Philadelphia Israel Experience for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, which arranged the group's visit, which ends tomorrow.

On Monday, the group performed a routine to celebrate Tel Aviv's 100th birthday. The city was founded on April 11, 1909.

The group also was in town to mark Israel's memorial day, April 28, and its independence, April 29.

In Room 308 at Barrack Hebrew Academy, Shpungin, Rotem Fallek, 16, Noa Fainstien, 14, and Adi Sakal, 13, gave presentations to students about Tel Aviv and life in Israel.

But the young singers learned a few lessons of their own. They were most shocked by the vastness of America. "The places here are big and wonderful," said Fainstien, recounting her amazement on the U.S. Capitol building.

Adi Sakal said the visit was important but fast paced. "We're having fun, and we're tired - even more tired because of the heat - but we can sleep when we get home," she said.

Michael Nahmani of Lower Merion has been hosting three of the students at his home. "For the last 10 days, I've been able to practice Hebrew, and learned a lot about Israel and Tel Aviv," the 15-year-old said.

"Also, it's nice to get some of their culture," Nahmani said, "and I can share what it's like to be an American Jew here in Philadelphia."

Before returning to Tel Aviv tomorrow, the Towers will perform at Barrack one more time as well as in the community tonight.

The group has been in demand. When they performed for the fourth graders at the Independence Charter School in Center City, they planned to sing two or three songs. Eight songs later, they finally left.

Ten small candles burned in the corner of the darkened Barrack auditorium yesterday during one of the school's memorial day celebrations. The school's rabbi honored Israel's fallen soldiers. Then the Towers of Tel Aviv got up and began to sing.