Journey to the Holy Land
By Mayor Norman S. Edelcup

On April 22nd the entire Sunny Isles Beach Commission flew to Israel. The purpose of our trip was to complete the process of joining Sunny Isles Beach and Netanya as “Sister Cities”. A year ago last May, Miriam Fierberg Ikar, the Mayor of Netanya came here for the initial signing ceremonies and now our Commission traveled to Israel to complete the Sister City process.

On Wednesday, April 26th our Commissioners were invited to the Netanya City Hall. Miriam Fierberg Ikar and I signed the documents as Mayors of our respective cities and thereby completed the process of our formal Sister Cities agreement. In addition to the remarks I made on behalf of the City, Commissioner Iglesias, Goodman, Thaler and Vice Mayor Brezin each offered their comments on the ceremony. In addition to Netanya Mayor there were about twelve other Netanya’s dignitaries present including two former Mayors, Dr. Bar Menachem and Mr. Yoel Elroy. Also attending was Mr. Ephaim Cohen, the Cultural Attache of the American Embassy.

The people of Netanya overwhelmed us with their hospitality. We were provided with six days of guided tours throughout Israel and treated to many fine lunches and dinners. I have invited the Mayor of Netanya and her delegation to come back to Sunny Isles Beach for our City’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration. This event will take place on June 16, 2007 and will be a wonderful tribute for our City.

I know that each of our Commissioners were impressed and thrilled by our journey to Israel and following are comments from each of them as to the various highlights of this magnificent trip.

From Vice Mayor Roslyn Brezin

I truly felt at home in Netanya. We were so warmly welcomed. People walking along the beach reminded me of my friendly neighbors at Haulover Ocean walk.

Time spent with Netanya Mayor Miriam Fierberg Ikar and other Government Officials made me realize that we are truly Twin Cities and can benefit from our Sister City relationship. When the Netanya Mayor spoke of her visit to Sunny Isles Beach she said that each time she saw a building she liked or other things that your lovely City had to offer, she said “I WANT THAT.”

I was impressed with the beautiful landscaping, particularly the flowers that seemed to be everywhere. We were all attracted to the bright colored annuals and this Vice Mayor said “I WANT THAT FOR SUNNY ISLES BEACH.”

We went to Netanya Academic College, The Grottos and Cableway at Rosh Hanikra, the Western Wall (left a note for world peace), the memorial for those killed in the war from Netanya, the miniature museum and several other cities.

I will never forget the new museum complex at Yad Vashem, that contains authentic artifacts including testimonies, photographs, film clips, works of art, and ninety personal accounts that tell the story of the Holocaust through the voice of the individual who experienced this horror.

On March 28th 2004, the City of Sunny Isles Beach honored our many residents who are survivors of the Holocaust. After viewing the film clips at Yad Vashem, and seeing what they went through, I can say “I am proud of you, my neighbors. I am proud of what you have accomplished, and who you are today.”

I am thankful for the opportunity to have gone to Israel and represented our City.

From Commissioner Gerry Goodman

Having first visited Israel twenty years ago, I was impressed with the progress Israel has made in those past twenty years. Israel is now a beautiful modern country. Returning to Israel to celebrate our Sister City relationship with Netanya was a tremendous experience.

Netanya is a beachfront city on the Mediterranean. The beach area is on a cliff and consists of a park that runs the full-length of the city. The government of Netanya entertained us, and took us all around Israel. It was a beautiful trip, and we had a wonderful time. Most importantly we promoted Sunny Isles Beach as a tourist stop for people from Israel visiting the United States.

From Commissioner Danny Iglesias

The Commission trip to our Sister City of Netanya, Israel was nothing short of spectacular. We had the opportunity to visit the Sister City for the first time as a group, and learned first hand how similar our cities are. Both, a sea-side community, value its most important natural resource – the beach. And like Sunny Isles Beach, Netanya’s most valuable resource is its residents.

Lush with landscaping, the walkways along the coastline of Netanya make it pleasant for the residents to walk and meet. Just like the parks in Sunny Isles Beach are common gathering places for our residents to enjoy. In some areas of our City I would like to see even more landscaping, to match the beauty I saw in Netanya.

I went on my own to the cities of Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem. From a personal point of view, this was very moving to me as a Christian. I actually touched the site where Jesus Christ was born, a moment I will never forget.

From Commissioner Lewis J. Thaler

Imagine being on an airplane for over eleven hours; you are tired and in need of a shower. You can’t wait to get to your hotel room. All of a sudden you see a sign and instantly you are no longer tired, the shower forgotten. There on a large billboard for all to see is the proclamation “Netanya Welcomes the Delegation of Sunny Isles Beach.”

These signs were placed all around Netanya as we would discover when we were taken around the city. Netanya is a resort city on the Mediterranean Sea built on a cliff. Rocks have been placed off the shore to make beaches safe for visitors and swimming. Because it is a sea and not an ocean, there is less erosion.

Two years ago, when Madi and I were in Israel with another group, we went to Netanya to present the key from our city. It was the beginning of a great alliance. At that time, the only way to get to the beach was to walk down steep steps. Today there is an elevator to take people down to the beach. There is a long promenade along the cliff where there are sitting areas, playgrounds, a skating area and an amphitheater for shows. Restaurants, apartments and hotels overlook the area.

Mayor Miriam Fierberg Ikar went all out in showing us her city as well as the country. We toured Netanya – saw what has been accomplished and learned what is still to come. She is hopeful that builders will come to Netanya and build their beautiful hotels and condominiums. We were taken to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Golan Heights, Acre (on the Syrian border), Haifa, Jaffa and Z’chron Yaakov – where major wineries are located. If you are interested in ancient architecture, you must visit Caesarea. Along with a Roman amphitheater, many ancient artifacts have been uncovered.

If your plans call for visiting Israel, I urge you to take a few days and spend time in Netanya. It is a centrally located city and you will be able to get to any place of interest.

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