EAST BRUNSWICK – East Brunswick has added a new member to its sisterhood of international cities with the addition of Yavne. The Israeli city now joins Ukraine and China as East Brunswick’s newest cultural partner.
On Nov. 28, Council President James Wendell, Council Vice President Kevin McEvoy, Councilwoman Sharon Sullivan, Councilman Dinesh Behal, and Councilwoman Dana Zimbicki voted “yes” on a motion to pass the resolution.
The resolution establishes an agreement that both cities will engage in cultural exchanges and economic cooperation through technology, educational activities, community networking, trade relations, and business relationships.
Located near Israel’s economic hub, the ancient city is an “ideal site for industry and commerce” as it sits 15 miles from the city of Tel Aviv. Yavne is also of interest to the township as they both share similarities in plans for cultural and economic development, officials said.
Yavne has a population of 55,000 and has served as a popular destination for business along its “sea highway.” Like Yavne, East Brunswick has utilized its five-mile stretch of Route 18 to host commercial and industrial activity.
The resolution states “The Township of East Brunswick and the City of Yavne, on the basis of friendly cooperation, equality and mutual benefit, will continue to develop a sister cities relationship to promote and broaden economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between the Township and Yavne.”
Mayor Brad Cohen stated that the partnership is primarily intended to build relationships that benefit both communities.
“Our goal, like with all the other sister cities, is to develop a dialogue among our children. I think that there’s a lot of overlap. Not only with our public schools, but we actually have a Hebrew charter school in East Brunswick, which is a public school.
“There’s a lot of areas of technology and expertise that both of us have core strengths in, whether that is food technology, autonomous vehicles, water technology and conservation, and security. There’s a lot of room for us to share a dialogue and gain from that experience,” he said.
