May 31, 2005 A BRIDGE TO THE DIASPORA – LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS A BRIDGE TO JEWISH COMMUNITIES A Panel Session of the First Local Government Conference The Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy Tel Aviv University Participants: Mr. Nachman Shai Director General of United Jewish Communities-Israel Dr. Avi Beker Head of the Jewish Policy Program, Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy Mr. Martin Karp Senior Vice President, Israel and Overseas, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Brig. Gen.(Res.) Ephraim Lapid Director of the Israel Region of the Jewish Agency Dr. Moti Brill Mayor of Arad Mrs. Ruth Cheshin President of the Jerusalem Foundation Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Founder/President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (Friendship Fund) Mr. Shmuel Ben-Tovim Chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Israel-Diaspora Relations Task Force, former Mayor of Kfar Shmaryahu. Edited by Eli Fried, Avital Moyal and Sylvie Kraus 1