Shalom! Ma Nishmah?

Hi Everyone,

I miss the US very much but I am settling in here in Israel.  Everything is coming along.  I have been here about 10 days now and my experience is only just beginning.  

The first few days were difficult because the program was quite disorganized and there was a terrible rain storm and I was VERY homesick!  But it only took me a few days to really get y head on straight and take the initiative to get all I can out of my program and being here.   

HAKFAR HAYAROK

Hakfar Hayarok is a very special place.  It means "Green Village" in English and is an agricultural boarding school.  An agricultural boarding school is an Israeli concept that began when Israel became a state to teach children about kibbutz life as well as use animals in education.  In 1950 Hakfar Hayarok was founded to help families and children learn about the Kibbutz life before they went to create a Kibbutz of their own or join one that existed. In time, parents began to see how working with the animals helped their children learn and Hakfar Hayarok became very popular.  It was one of the first agricultural schools created here.  Today there are 1300 students that attend the school and 400 board.  Almost every student receives scholarships to come here and many of them are immigrants from Russia and Ethiopia.  It is interesting to see all of the students interact though, because they do not fulfill any stereotype of the child of a "poor" or "impoverished" family.  They all wear stylish clothes and have nice cellphones.   However, one of the people who works here told us that "although they look like anyone else, this is the problem with the Israeli poor.  They like to pretend that everything is fine and refuse help.  These children need you though, do not be mistaken."  

WORKING AT THE KFAR

At first, it was very disconcerting that we would ask people how we can help them and they would say "why?" or "come back another time" (when we go back they say the same thing though!) or simply "NO!".  However, we have begun to infiltrate the school and now many teachers see us as equals and students look up to us as "the Americans".  We are now creating schedules for tutoring the students in English and beginning projects throughout the Kfar to improve the school.  

So, I began gardening every morning with the "Touch Nature" area, which is an area used for animal therapy with the students and outsiders who come to visit the Kfar.  The man who runs the area has a whole plan for making it a beautiful area for students and visitors.  I would like to help garden the entire campus but the gardener, Yicheal, was not allowing me to help and so I am starting here and trying to make friends with Yicheal to get my "in".  There is a Waldorf school on the campus, which is a private philosophical school that rents the space from the Kfar.  Once a week I help with the first grade art project there.  It is very cute and helps my hebrew because the children speak in very simple sentences that I can understand better than in the high school level.  I begin tutoring students with English tomorrow night so I will let you all know how that goes!  I am also going to play soccer with the kids on the weekends as soon as I can set up some competitions between the grades!  Also, I have hebrew classes three days a week for an hour and a half per day.  I am certainly going to be busy and involved.

WEEKENDS

It is hard for me to get used to the idea of having the weekend as Friday and Saturday (it is based on the Jewish Sabbath rather than the Christian Sabbath) rather than Saturday and Sunday.  Sunday here is a working day, which is an adjustment to me!  On the weekends the boarders go home every other weekend.  The first weekend the students left.  Some friends and I hung out in Tel Aviv that weekend, went to the shuk (open market) and had shabbat dinner with friends of one of the girls I was with that day.  It was a bit lonely to be left to quickly without any guidance but I really enjoyed the time in Tel Aviv, it is a great city.  It is 30 minutes by bus from here and the bus stop is just outside the Kfar.  

This past weekend was a weekend in which the students stay.  On Friday night there is a special dinner where the students must wear white.  At the dinner a different age group every time has the responsibility of serving the food (which is special because usually it is buffet), performing the prayers and songs, and performing a play.  It was really a neat event because all the students are excited for it and they get really into the songs and the play, which they only have two weeks to prepare!  After all of this the Kfar has a discoteque (dance) and everyone is there and it is very fun!  

We also explored Herziliya this weekend.  It is a suburban city of Tel Aviv that as been built up recently.  It is avery wealthy area and there are great places to shop, eat and spend time there.  We went to shopping there the other day and to a club there on Thursday.  It was very "posh" and we danced until 330am!  I know, how very unlike me to be up so late!  The nightlife gets going so late here that I need to nap before I go out...alas, I am getting used to it because it is SO much fun!

BOMBING IN DIMONA, ISRAEL

The recent bombing in Israel on February 4, 2008, in case anyone was worried, was not close to me.  It was near the southern most point in Israel, about 2 hours from here.  However, it was interesting that it went seemingly unmentioned here.  I was told early in the day, at breakfast, that this had occurred but my roommate did not know until I told her at night when we were going to bed.  We had worked here all day without any Israeli mentioning it or even appearing affected by it.  This is a part of the culture here, but it is strange to me.  From my perspective, I did not worry because it was 2 hours from here.  However, I would worry if this had happened 2 hours away from me anywhere in the states...in Baltimore when I live in DC, in Boston or NY when I live in Avon...it is a different place here, and the people are much stronger than I can yet understand!  As the first bombing in over a year, it is very disappointing to everyone hoping for peace here.  However, the more people I talk to here the less hopeful I am of peace here because most Israelis cannot imagine peace here.  Anyone who I speak to that has been in the army or has had children who have served tells me that the experience they have had/heard about make them question the possibility of peace here.  It is sad but I am trying to understand this more and will write more about my conversations with Israelis about peace.

Well that is all for now...I am trying to be very positive and take the initiative here because the "it will be" attitude of Israelis is very unlike my control freak, "get it done yesterday" personality.  If nothing else, I will come back MUCH more relaxed...what a concept!  

Hope all is well in the good ol' US of A!