Israeli Dancing

 If you enjoy watching Israeli dancing, what could be better than watching outstanding dancers from Tel Mond, Israel perform classic, jazz, modern, and Israeli dance in person? The finest dancers, ages 16 and 17, from the dance school at the Tel Mond Cultural Center are coming to Sarasota. They call their group NOOA, which means movement. NOOA, formed over 15 years ago, consists of 20 dancers and one singer who are beautiful, strong, flexible, elegant, graceful, and amazing performers. In addition to their three chaperones, Avi Eliyahu (Tel Mond Cultural Center Director) will be coming with the 21 NOOA performers. All will be home-hosted by Sarasota Sister Cities committee members led by Alice Cotman, who is planning an exciting schedule for them that includes visits to Ringling Museum, Sailor Circus, Mote Marine, Sarasota Military Academy, Sarasota Ballet, Shabbat dinner at Temple Beth Sholom, and a tour of Sarasota. They will be performing for Sarasota’s Holocaust Survivor Luncheon at Temple Emanu-El on December 6. Their performance on December 10 will be at 7:00 pm at the Beatrice Friedman Theater on the Jewish Federation campus as part of the Israel @ 65 celebrations. A Hanukkah reception with potato pancakes and "sufganiyot" (jelly doughnuts) will follow the performance. Price is $18 and $5 for students.  

Tickets are 1/2 priced if purchased prior to Thanksgiving. Tickets can be purchased online at www.jfedsrq.org/events.aspx.   Scroll down to NOOA Dancers from Israel. Holocaust Survivor Luncheon and the Israel @ 65 events are being produced in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.


In 1998, Sarasota Mayor Gene Pillot and Nora Patterson visited Tel Mond for the proclamation signing that established a permanent relationship between Sarasota and Tel Mond. In 1999, Tel Mond officially became Sarasota’s Sister City when Tel Mond Mayor Shlomo Ratzabi, arrived in Sarasota and signed the Sarasota/Tel Mond Sister City agreement document with Sarasota Mayor Mollie Cardamone. Ever since, Sarasota and Tel Mond have had a strong relationship, with many delegations and performers coming from Tel Mond to Sarasota. The NOOA dancers from Tel Mond performed in Sarasota in 2004.  

Sarasota has eight Sister Cities: 1. Tel Mond, Israel; 2. Dunfermline, Scotland; 3. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 4. Mérida, Mexico; 5. Perpignan, France; 6. Treviso, Italy; 7. Vladimir, Russia; 8. Xiamen, China. The promotion of adult and student international exchange is a vital concept of Sister Cities.

As our community prepares to celebrate Israel @ 65, let’s start the celebrating with a warm welcome to our 25 visitors from Tel Mond who arrive in Sarasota on December 5. The head of the delegation is Avi Eliyahu. Chaperones are Hila Gershon (director of dance school), Naama Lavi (NOOA choreographer) and Nataly Riech Wolff (head of the Tel Mond-Sarasota Committee in Tel Mond). The 21 NOOA performers are sure to spread a delightful taste of Israel to our community.     

The committee members making this all possible in Sarasota are Dianne Brin, Alice Cotman, Joe Floersheimer, Marlies Gluck-Upton, Betty Greenspan, Elinor Greenberg, Richard Hershorin, Donna Lerner, Meredith Nierenberg, Taylor Press, Gerry Ronkin, Linda Rosenbluth, Sue Rosin, Lynn Sacks, Kim Sheintal, Adeline Silverman, and Judie Yellen.  For more information, please call Alice Cotman at 941-359-6451.