We reported before about the exciting developments that we’re leading, thanks to the support of the UJA-Federation of New York, together with the Community Councils of Greater Baka’a, Gonenim and Ginot Ha’Ir. Now, almost three months later, we held a follow-up meeting, to see what progress has been made on the various projects that were discussed.
21 May 2014 Railway Park Meeting
This time there were about 20 participants, all those and more who committed to advance different projects on the Railway Park that runs from the First Station near Liberty Bell Park to Teddy Stadium. Participants discussed projects such as:
- The Social Platform, which is being advanced by the Max Rayne Hand in Hand School for Bilingual Education, together with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.
- Plants in the Park
- Friends of the Park, who will be concerned with sanitation and other needs, and who will be the Park’s first line of defense in communicating with the Municipality.
- Guided tours of the Park
Other ideas that were raised include:
- A cooperative Cafe, similar to the Bar-Kayma in Tel Aviv
- Establishing an Internet site for the Park
- Live music
- Communal painting drives
“What was noticeable was the creativity that rose out of a group of very different people, who all love the park,” said our own Na’ama Afek-Barzilay. “There were people there who had not been able to come to the first meeting. There were people there who told that they had moved into the area because of the park. The important take-away from this is that the future of these initiatives in the park really are in the hands of residents. The community professionals will lend their assistance, but their success is based on the residents.”
