The warm, friendly relations between the UJC of MetroWest, New Jersey and the city of Raanana date back to 1989, at the beginning of the massive wave of Russian Jewish emigration. The MetroWest community answered the call of the Mayor of Raanana, Mr. Zeev Bielski, to fund a unique initiative – “direct absorption” – in which the responsibility for absorbing immigrant families would be assumed by the local municipality, instead of the government agencies. This highly successful model was soon adopted throughout Israel. A municipal department for immigrant absorption was established, and with the assistance of the MetroWest community and dozens of local volunteers, thousands of families from the former Soviet Union were welcomed into apartments throughout Raanana in the early 1990s. The MetroWest community also assisted in the “Natasha-Rachel” project, improving services and infrastructure in the older neighborhoods of Raanana.

The Women’s Committee of the UJC of MetroWest was instrumental in establishing the
“Mor Metro West” Senior High School, Raanana’s second high school, which was inaugurated in the early 1990s. The school has close ties with the Solomon Shechter High School, with reciprocal student exchanges taking place every year. A corner of the “Mor Metro West” school library is dedicated to the memory of New Jersey resident, Aliza Flatow, who was murdered in a terrorist incident in 1995 while in Israel for a year’s study program.

Stephen Flatow, Aliza’s father, has accompanied his two other daughters on visits to the school, during their year study programs in Israel.

Over the years, members of the Metro West community have made significant contributions to Raanana, including the magnificent Lester Community Center. This multi-purpose center, serving the northern neighborhoods, is named after Mr. William Lester and his late wife, Betty and was made possible by the generous donation of William and Gloria Lester.

Religious pluralism has been the focus of the community’s involvement in the last few years. Donations have facilitated religious and Jewish culture instruction in the TALI pre-school nursery, the TALI stream in Meged elementary school as well as an innovative course entitled “Israel Culture” that is taught at the “Mor MetroWest” high school. Other projects include "Kaleidoscope" which promotes cooperation between the city’s religious and secular primary schools. The Religious Pluralism Subcommittee also contributes to Kehillat Raanan, a Reform synagogue and community center in Raanana; Kehillat Amitai (a congregation with a high proportion of immigrants from South America); a project called "BaKehilla" that brings Jewish values into kindergartens and junior high schools; and Meitarim Raanana, a religiously pluralistic junior and senior high school.

In October 2006, Mayor Nahum Hofree visited the MetroWest Jewish community, met with representatives of the Jewish Federation and local businessmen at the New Jersey-Israel Commission, with whom