Nearly 30 years after its incorporation, the city of Aventura is establishing its first-ever sister city agreement, and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels are commemorating the occasion.
Aventura officials will formalize a sister city relationship Friday morning with Modi'in, a 90,000-resident municipality in Israel situated equidistantly between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Chaim Bibas, the Mayor of Modi'in, will be there in person to accept the pact and a Magen David Adom ambulance Aventura is donating to his city.
The ambulance gift is historic as well; Aventura's charter requires a six-sevenths City Commission vote to approve any charitable donation. Friday marks the city's first approval and delivery of such a contribution.
Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg said his city is "deeply proud" to be forging a formal, cooperative relationship with Modi'in.
"There is an unbreakable bond between Aventura and the state of Israel," he said. "We look forward to sharing ideas, successes, and culture as we deepen our ties."
In addition to city officials, dignitaries attending the 10 a.m. event at Aventura Government Center include U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo, state Sen. Shevrin Jones, state Reps. Christopher Benjamin and Randy Fine, and Miami-Dade Commissioner Micky Steinberg.
Israel Consul General Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, who is taking part in the event as well, called the agreement his 'personal 'Tale of Two Cities.'"
"I am proud to be the resident of two cities and a constituent of both wonderful Mayors," he said.
"As Modi'in and Aventura join hands in a sister city agreement, we celebrate the boundless possibilities of our partnership. This is a testament to our commitment to fostering and deepening the inherent connections between our people and communities and building a brighter future together."
South Florida is home to Florida's third-largest Jewish population and the nation's tenth largest, and Aventura has more Jewish residents in the area than any other municipality, according to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
"Aventura takes immense pride in our support for Israel," Aventura Commissioner Rachel Saltzman Friedland said. "Our sister city relationship with Modi'in will allow us to strengthen our ties and enhance our ability to deliver for our residents. The Magen David Adom ambulance we are sending to serve Modi'in will save lives."
Jones said he's excited to join Aventura as it builds on its relationship with Israel and Modi'in.
"The ambulance the city is sending to Israel will save lives and help replace one of the many that were destroyed on Oct. 7," he said. "As President (Joe) Biden says, U.S. support for Israel is ironclad. That runs from the White House all the way down to our cities."
