The inaugural Diski 18 delegation has officially kicked off in South Africa, launching a week-long people-to-people exchange that uses soccer to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the Harei Yehuda-Beit Shemesh region in Israel and the South African Jewish community.
Led by Ironi Beit Shemesh FC players and coaches Tal Ayala and Liad Elad, the delegation is part of the Jewish Agency’s Partnership2gether initiative and was made possible through the collaboration of community leaders and volunteers from both Israel and South Africa.
The program began in Johannesburg, where dozens of students participated in a professional training session with the visiting athletes. Beyond developing soccer skills, the day focused on teamwork, leadership, resilience, and the friendships that sport can inspire across cultures and continents.
During conversations with the students, Tal Ayala spoke about Israel’s diverse soccer community and the many international players who have made Israel their home, including from across Africa. Over two days, the Israeli players coached young athletes, shared their personal journeys, and built meaningful relationships that extended well beyond the soccer field.
As part of the program, participants received jerseys from Ironi Beit Shemesh, Hapoel Mateh Yehuda, and a special commemorative tournament shirt honoring the memory of Captain Tomer Shoham z”l.
Tomer, from the community of Srigim in the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council, was an outstanding IDF officer who fell while defending Kibbutz Kerem Shalom on October 7th. A lifelong soccer player, he helped establish Mateh Yehuda’s first competitive youth league team in 2016, creating new opportunities for local teenagers to pursue the sport at a high level. Today, hundreds of children in the region dream of one day playing for the club that Tomer envisioned and helped build.
The delegation continued to Cape Town, where the players joined the HaBonim Dror winter camp. The campers participated in soccer clinics and interactive leadership workshops, exploring how sport can foster confidence, responsibility, inclusion, and community leadership.
Diski 18 reflects the core mission of Partnership2gether: creating lasting personal relationships between Jewish communities through meaningful shared experiences. By combining athletics, education, and cultural exchange, the initiative demonstrates how people-to-people connections continue to strengthen the bonds between Israel and Jewish communities around the world.
Partnership2gether Steering Committee Member Dani Marks: “In South Africa we have many problems and so does every other country in the world, but as proud South Africans we understand the power of sport, the power to build relationships, mend fences, bring people together, and hopefully our initiative this past month and going forward will build relationships across South Africa and Israel, create a better understanding between people through this wonderful power of sport and the game of football.”
