Meet THE ASSOCIATED's new Baltimore-Odessa Partnership Co-chairs

One of Eastern Europe’s hidden gems is Baltimore’s sister city, Odessa, says Brett Cohen, the new Baltimore-Odessa Partnership co-chair. Working with Andrew Razumovsky, the team says they plan to bring the vibrancy of Odessa culture and Jewish life to Baltimore – and vice versa.

Razumovsky, whose grandfather was born in Odessa, first visited our sister city in 1977. He said a lot has changed since then. What was then a small, dying community is today a dynamic Jewish hub. “You see the young generation in Odessa growing into real community leaders,” he says.

Meet THE ASSOCIATED's new Israel & Overseas Co-chairs

Jason Blavatt and Beth Goldsmith have served in many roles with THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and one thing is for sure - they are both passionate about Israel and our overseas partners. This year, as co-chairs of the Israel & Overseas Committee, their primary focus is to connect the Jewish community in Baltimore with Jews in Israel and around the world. They believe that only through people-to-people connects that we truly understand our commonalities.

THE ASSOCIATED caught up with Jason and Beth to ask them a few questions.

Three area companies receive millions for innovation - Foundation to help Israeli, Md., D.C. techies
Maryland high-tech investors, lawyers and entrepreneurs attend a recent Maryland/Israel Development Center event to learn about the potential for binational collaboration.

Earlier this month at a meeting held in Washington, D.C., the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, approved $8.1 million of funding for nine new projects between Israeli and American companies. Ariadne in Rockville and Sitel/MedStar Health in D.C. are among the recipients.