ISRAEL HIGHWAY ANNOUNCES FIRST NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT Students Across North America Invited to Participate in Chanukah Project for “Israel HighWay / A Package From Home” New York, November 23, 2004… The Israel HighWay, a new email publication on Israel for high school students, today announced its first national high school project. “We are pleased to invite Jewish teenagers and high schools across North America to participate in a national campaign for A Package from Home, an organization that sends ‘care’ packages to soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces,” said James S. Tisch, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which publishes the weekly Israel HighWay (www.israelhighway.org). “Chanukah is the perfect time to send A Package from Home to the brave soldiers protecting Israel. As we celebrate the military and spiritual victory of the ancient Maccabees, we encourage Jewish teenagers to join in showing support to the brave soldiers protecting Israel today.” The Israel HighWay, launched at the beginning of this school semester, reaches out to high school youth with an engaging, informative and exciting format to educate them and prepare them for Israel-related encounters on college campuses. It is prepared for the Conference of Presidents by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, sponsored by a grant from The AVI CHAI Foundation. Some of the features include an in-depth “Issue of the Week,” highlights of Israel-related school or community projects, articles by or about American and Israeli teens including their experiences on Israel programs, and sections on Israeli contributions to society in the areas of sports, music, arts and technology. Also included are links to key relevant sites and primary sources, as well as additional reading material for students who wish to explore any issue further. The project selected for the first national high school campaign is A Package from Home (www.apackagefromhome.org). Barbara Bloom Silverman, an American who moved to Israel, was looking for a way to show her support and appreciation to Israeli soldiers and began to assemble care packages in her living room. Since September 2000, 69,000 packages have been distributed, and 169 Units have been "adopted" by organizations or individuals who sponsor packages for the entire unit. Included in the care packages are letters of support and encouragement written by adults and children, sweets to cheer and energize the soldiers, and basic clothing supplies and toiletries. Schools, synagogues and teen groups across the Jewish world have already raised funds, written letters or collected items for the packages. “Our project gives each person the opportunity to make the brave soldiers in the IDF have a wonderful Chanukah,” said Mrs. Silverman, founder of A Package from Home. “We especially invite high schools and teens to involve themselves in the project on any level that is possible for them. The soldiers who receive these packages are mostly 18-19 years old, very close in age to high school students.” The “Israel HighWay / A Package from Home” Chanukah project is expected to run through the end of December. Additional information is available at www.israelhighway.org. Email info@israelhighway.org or call 212-318-6111 for information on how to participate.