Picture, Right to Left: Maya Kleinberg, Maya Davis, Cllr Liron Woodcock-Velleman, Cllr Barry Rawlings
Two Barnet students met up with Barnet Council Leader Barry Rawlings in Jerusalem, to talk about their experiences in Israel and their home borough.
Maya Davis and Maya Kleinberg met Councillor Rawlings, as well as Councillor Liron Woodcock-Velleman, for Israeli salads in the city centre’s Jaffa Street.
Maya Davis, 19, who is attending courses at the Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim Seminary and Hebrew University said: “It’s great to have come from a cool place like Barnet with its diversity and mix of cultures. It’s something I keep with me while I’m in Israel.”
Maya Kleinberg, also 19, is attending the Midreshet Harova Seminary and plans to volunteer with Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service, next year. Maya welcomed the council’s plans to build on Barnet’s culture, arts and leisure provision saying: “I loved growing up in Barnet and feel very connected to it even from Israel. It’s exciting to hear about the Borough of Fun plans, including Edgware.”
Both girls grew up in Edgware and attended Hasmonean High School for Girls.
Councillor Rawlings said: “I am so proud to lead the local authority with the most Jewish residents in the UK, and I know how much Israel means to the community. It was great to meet up with Maya and Maya to talk about what they are up to in Jerusalem and their plans for the future. They really are a credit to Barnet.”
Councillor Rawlings and Councillor Woodcock-Velleman were also in Israel to attend a conference held by Barnet’s twin city, Ramat Gan. Sessions included visits to schools and museums.
Ramat Gan is a city of around 150,000 residents bordering Tel Aviv and has been twinned with Barnet since 1976. Barnet councillors in attendance of the Ramat Gan’s Sister Cities Conference (29th May to 2nd June) were the mayor Nagus Narenthira, (Labour) leader Barry Rawlings, (Labour) Councillor Liron Velleman-Woodcock (Labour), Eva Greenspan ( Conservative) and Caroline Stock (Conservative). Other twin cities in attendance were: Kassel, Germany; Phoenix, USA; Szombathely, Hungary; Weinheim, Germany; Wrocklaw, Poland.
