Until now, Israeli companies may have thought that “Hampton Roads” was only a cover on a Beatles album.  But that changed dramatically on April 14 when the Mayor of Norfolk, Paul Fraim, along with Haifa Mayor Yahav, signed a cooperation agreement between Haifa and Norfolk at a ceremony in Haifa.  After the signing, Mayor Fraim announced the first cooperative agreement: Tochnit Norfolk, which will connect selected Israeli companies with potential business partners and investors in Norfolk and the entire Hampton Roads region. 
 
According to Mayor Fraim, "Norfolk is a leading center of marine industry in the United States that boasts the world's largest U.S. naval base," Fraim commented. "Consequently, it has emerged as a growing complex of security and technologies industries. Its location on the East Coast makes it an excellent springboard for starting business operations across the U.S."

The program, initiated by the State of Virginia through the Virginia Israel Advisory Board is unique in that it targets two specific sectors of the Israeli industry: homeland security and the maritime industry.  According to Mr. Robbins, the Executive Director of the Virginia Israeli Advisory Board, “Norfolk has strength and clusters of excellence in both these fields.  We’ll bring Israeli companies to meet and explore market entry opportunities with the shakers in these fields.”
 
Presentations to potential investors will be another part of the program.   Monies raised will be earmarked for market entry into the US and/or for manufacturing.   Robbins stressed that “investment should not be the only goal for the Israeli companies, as there will be other incentives for Israeli companies seeking to expand through Norfolk and Hampton Roads.”
 
Ralph Robbins and other representatives from Virginia will visit Israel in early may to conduct Phase 1 interviews with potential participants.  Following the selection process which will end on May 15, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board and Hampton Roads will work closely with the companies to perfect their presentations and to organize targeted meetings for their trip on June 6-8.

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On April 9^th, Aviram Janik, the CEO of Beyond Security announced the opening of their US headquarters in Virginia.  Beyond Security was one of four Israeli companies selected from a pool of over one hundred Israeli companies invited to present their business plans to Active Angel Investors (AAI), a group managed by John May of New Vantage Group. 

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“I was able to make the right connections in two days that would have taken me two years to make.  Aviram Jenik, CEO, Beyond Securities

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Following the February 9^th event at Teqcorner in Fairfax, Janik said, “The power of the program went far beyond potential investment.  Rather than talking about advantages of the Virginia/DC area, they showed us the extraordinary power of the business community.” 

April 15, 2005.  A one-year virtual “exchange program” between Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach and Alliance High School in Tel Aviv culminated with a visit to Virginia by 25 Alliance students.   While the official purpose of the program was to learn about tolerance in different cultures, the video conferences lead to a broader sharing of ideas which included music, emails and some political discussions.  Prior to the visit, which began on April 15, the students shared video conferences on a daily basis.
 
Willy Fluharty, the Director of the Nexus Program at Cape Henry Collegiate, knew the program was a success:  “Two girls approached me four hours into the program, and exclaimed: ‘They are just like us.’”
 
The program may prove to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  A highight of the trip was a White House tour and a meeting with Virginia Senator George Allen on Capital Hill.   In addition the students toured an active aircraft carrier, the USS Eisenhower docked at Norfolk, and made a special presentation at the Holocaust Museum in Washington.