Student exchange programs between the two communities began in the 5773 (2012-13) school year. Students from each community will be hosted by the partner community for a period of time. They will study at the local school, get to know the students and the local culture, and will be exposed to life in Israel. As part of the program, the students will act as ambassadors for their country and their community, meaningful personal ties will be formed, and the partner students will be leading factors in the forming bonds. Objectives: To strengthen the Jewish identity and sense of belonging to the Jewish people and to the state of Israel, in both communities. To cultivate a reciprocal interpersonal connection, which will lead to better mutual understanding, and will also impact on the life of the community. Mutual enrichment, exchange of knowledge and generating relevance for studying language, Hebrew in Rochester and English in Modiin.