A Class Act The recent ceremony officially naming Ofakim in the Southern part of Israel and Middletown New Jersey sister cities was nothing short of emotional, wonderful, symbolic of the friendliness of Middletown, meaningful to a mayor in a foreign country who is still picking up the pieces of last year’s October 7 tragedy and Hamas presence there. It was done with class, style, lots of cooperation from all the township departments, and a lot of hard work from a staff who seem to make hard work look run of the mill since they do it all the time.
But there was even so much more to please Mayor Danino and have him bring back to Israel in stories about how wonderful the United States is. Because make no mistake about it, when visiting another country, one judges the entire nation by the personal experience and the particular location visited.
In the Sister City celebration, there was even more than that hour or so formal ceremony with state, county and local officials present.
For instance, when Mayor Danino arrived for the day at Town Hall, Mayor Perry and his crew had already made arrangements with a most cooperative group of others that : he came with an escort by an honor guard of Middletown’s finest so the Mayor, the Middletown Township Committee, the rest of the police department and Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guards could welcome him.
He was accompanied by members of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, the nonprofit that helped organize his visit to the United States. There was then a private breakfast in the Mayor’s Conference Room with legislators and community leaders and a presentation by Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of the Jewish Chamber of Commerce, to Mayor Perry. That was the gift of a unique mezuzah crafted from the Iron Dome scrap metal that intercepted missiles targeting Ofakim civilians.
As a symbol of the spiritual and cultural connection between Middletown and Ofakim, Rabbi Shmaya Galperin of the Chabad Jewish Center of Holmdel then affixed a mezuzah to the door of the Mayor’s Office.
“This sister city pact represents the two cities’ commitment to fostering cultural, educational, and economic bonds,” the mayors agreed. “This ceremonial joining of our two towns is only the beginning of the work we plan to do together,” Perry said “This alliance is a testament to our common aspirations to stand together to denounce terrorism, deepen economic connections, share best practices to enhance public safety, and build bridges through education that promote cultural enrichment and understanding.”
“The partnership with Middletown is a moving expression of solidarity and friendship,” said Mayor Danino. “Mayor Perry chose to visit Ofakim amidst the pain and destruction which demonstrated what true friendship between cities, and people, looks like. The sister-city signing event was both emotional and dignified, and I am confident that it will continue to bear fruit for both our communities in the future.”
Nor did it all end when the last bit of applause died down and the handshakes and farewells stopped.
As part of the sister city pact, Middletown and Ofakim will form a committee of representatives from both cities to uphold the principles of their agreement.
The committee will meet on an annual basis to review their progress and discuss technology, agriculture, and sustainable development practices, encourage business partnerships, share first responder training tips, and promote research opportunities and educational innovations throughout the year.
The Middletown-Ofakim Sister City Pact is a pledge between the two cities to not only rebuild upon their foundations but also thrive, despite the challenges they have endured.
That’s a class act. And Mayor Perry and his team deserve praise, congratulations and thanks for putting Middletown in the forefront of what it takes to be friendly, compassionate, and thoughtful.
