They’re sister cities now
Middletown and Ofakim sign agreement
Last January, Middletown’s Mayor Tony Perry met Ofakim’s Mayor Itzik Danino during a 48-hour mission to Israel for 15 elected officials and educators, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest’s Jewish Community Relations Council.
This January, Mayor Danino came to Middletown to sign a sister-city agreement with the state’s 16th largest township, home to such celebrities as Steve Van Zandt, Jon Stewart, and Governor Phil Murphy.
The city of Ofakim — the word means horizons in Hebrew — in the Negev has been a partnership community of the federation for more than two decades.
But the sister-city agreement with Middletown is a direct result of that quick mission, three months after 48 of Ofakim’s 40,000 residents were slain in the October 7 Hamas attacks.
“What struck me most was the spirit of the people — the fact that nearly 50 people had died, and residents took up arms to battle back against the Hamas terrorists,” Mayor Perry said.
“Walking down the street, I saw machine-gun scars in the upper levels and doorways of homes. I saw houses that had been lit on fire to kill the individuals inside. I saw posters showing the faces of people brutally murdered and raped inside their homes. When you see that, your perspective on life changes.”
Middletown, whose population is now nearly 70,000, lost 37 of its then approximately 66,000 residents in the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center terror attack.
“Because our town was affected by terrorists in 2001, we and the people of Ofakim can relate to one another in shared grief,” Mayor Perry said. “I don’t think we’ll solve all the problems in the Middle East. But we can bring awareness to the fact that even though we are thousands of miles away, we can come together and demonstrate our commitment to the Jewish people and the people of Ofakim.”
Linda Scherzer, the director of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest’s Jewish Community Relations Council, said that Mayor Perry called her just days after the trip last year. “I want to create a sister-city relationship with Ofakim,” she recalled him telling her. “Our two cities are sadly united by senseless violence and extremism. I think this can serve as a strong beacon of hope, especially for Ofakim, which is still recovering from that terrible day.”
Ms. Scherzer noted that the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war caused a surge in antisemitism in New Jersey towns and classrooms, including at Rutgers and other colleges and universities around the state.
The mission was planned “against this backdrop of turmoil, as town councils were debating ceasefire resolutions and New Jersey’s governor was being lobbied daily to either condemn Israel or issue statements of support,” she said.
“There was nothing we asked of the 15 participants,” she added. “We knew only of the imperative to bring them to see the situation firsthand, urged them to ask tough questions, and hopefully return with a more informed understanding of the complexities of the conflict.”
Mayor Perry said that after October 7 he already was looking into making his first trip to Israel when Assemblyman Paul Kanitra told him about the federation’s mission. He immediately signed up.
“It’s important that municipalities look not just across the state or the country but across the world to get a better understanding of what other municipalities are doing that may be of interest to us, and to understand perspectives of different individuals,” he explained.
“I love to travel, but I also love to learn. To learn from the people of Ofakim and the other towns and cities we visited in Israel was amazing. I interviewed with several media outlets there. I said to them that thinking you know what happened by reading the New York Times is much different than being on the ground and hearing from family members of hostages sitting in Gaza.”
The sister-city agreement was signed in the courtroom at Middletown’s Town Hall in the presence of state legislators, county officials, Middletown Board of Education officials, members of the NJ-Israel Commission, JFGMW leaders, and a representative of the Israeli consulate in New York.
Before the signing, Mayor Danino and Rabbi Rob Tobin of Bnai Shalom in West Orange affixed a mezuzah to the door of Mayor Perry’s conference room.
Mayor Danino, accompanied by Ms. Scherzer and Maya Lior, MetroWest’s senior community shlicha, also met with members of New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority and ChooseNJ, the state’s leading nonprofit business-attraction organization, to explore investment opportunities in Ofakim’s growing agrotech industry and other areas of tech innovation.
Mayor Danino told the assemblage on January 6 that despite the heavy losses Ofakim suffered at the hands of terrorists who invaded Israel from across the Gaza border just about 15 miles from his city, “Ofakim is undergoing unprecedented physical and social development. The city is thriving, economically and culturally, becoming a central hub in the western Negev.”
He said the population is expected to reach 50,000 in the coming years.
“The city has welcomed wonderful young Israeli families who are building their homes with us. Together with the veteran communities, they strengthen the city and contribute to its growth.
“Alongside physical development, the city continues to invest significant resources in education, advancing its residents, and enhancing local resilience.”
The October 7 massacre, he continued, “left deep sorrow and pain,” yet “did not stop us — on the contrary, it only strengthened our sense of mission and the need to continue fighting with all our power for our beloved homeland.
“In the midst of this unbearable pain, we saw glimmers of hope as Ofakim, despite the destruction and loss, began rebuilding — brick by brick, heart by heart.
“During those difficult days, out of a genuine desire to assist us in our hardest hour, we were honored by a visit from the remarkable Mayor Tony Perry. Not only did he not hesitate to come to Israel during a time of war, uncertainty, and danger, but he also insisted on visiting the frontlines and meeting with our grieving city.”
Referencing the 9/11 attacks, he continued, “These two events remind us all that terror knows no boundaries, religions, or nations. It strikes wherever there is freedom and hope. The connection between Ofakim and Middletown is not just a bond between two cities but also a testament that the fight against terror is a shared struggle for all humanity.
“It is our duty to strengthen the bonds between us, embrace our friendships, and continue to show the world that there are those who choose to stand on the right side of history.”
Mayor Perry said that he and Mayor Danino hope to collaborate in the areas of education and culture; public safety, with law-enforcement professionals in Middletown learning about Ofakim’s approach; and economic development. He was to host Mayor Danino for meetings with Middletown’s Chamber of Commerce, as well as officials from the medical and educational spheres, to start exploring areas of common interest and potential partnership.
“Mayor Danino asked if I would come back to Ofakim, and we’ll figure that out,” he added.
Ms. Scherzer said that beyond any future economic benefits the Middletown-Ofakim relationship may bring, she believes it sends an important message that “despite the miles that separate the state of New Jersey and the State of Israel, the values that serve as pillars of both societies, and the shared belief in democracy, civil liberties, and the need to fight extremist threats to Western civilization, make our countries strong and natural allies.”
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