Backpacking up North

This past weekend we planned a weekend getaway up north to Akko and Haifa/Carmel. We took the train on Friday and started our backpacking adventure in the Old City of Akko. We visited the ancient Turkish Baths, the old fortress of Akko, and did some shopping in the markets.

After a full day in Akko, we hopped in a sheirut (shuttle) and were on our way to our luxury hostel in Haifa…or so we thought. We ended up in a hostel in Mount Carmel that was far from luxurious. After we got settled, we headed down to the beach. We expected it to take 20 minutes but instead we found ourselves walking aimlessly for 40 minutes. After building an appetite, we ate dinner on the beach and returned to the hostel as we were exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep on our rock solid mattresses and ripped sheets.

Somehow we were still able to get nine hours of sleep and were ready for our adventure to continue. We packed up and began the day with a trip to Ein Hod. Ein Hod is an artist village just outside Carmel, basically in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed seeing different art galleries, homemade beer and pizza, and seeing the beautiful views from the village.

After a great morning in Ein Hod, we headed down the mountain to find ourselves a sheirut to the Baha’i Gardens. Even though they were closed, we were still able to get some great pictures and enjoy the beautiful scenery. After that, we went back to Carmel to relax on the beach.

On our way to dinner we got sidetracked by Israeli rikudia (dancing) in the main square. There were tons of people of all shapes and sizes and we decided to join in. We picked up some of the dances and had a great time!
After that we ate dinner at the beach and then headed to the train station. After a great weekend away we appreciated being back in our clean and comfortable home in Bat Yam.

Written By: Yael Hart and Rachelle Marmur

Winter Day

The past few days have been very busy in Bat Yam. At the Kadima Centre, we are facilitating Chugim (hobby group activities) for the children. The children have experienced programming on English vocabulary, aerobics, music, art, computers and cosmetics, and we hope to add to this list of activities as we progress in our volunteer session. The level of excitement rises at Kadima when it is time for Chugim, as the children are given the opportunity to make choices, acquire new skills and have fun.


Yesterday afternoon was Winter Day at Kadima. The objectives of this program focused on teaching the children about winter in Canada, through avariety of fun activities. The kids at the Centre were split into three groups that rotated to the different activity stations. First, the children watched a slideshow illustrating different animals, sports, clothing and activities associated with winter in Canada. Then, the kids played a game of memory using a list of Hebrew and English winter words. Next, everyone had the chance to create and decorate snowflakes made out of construction paper. Finally, all of the children were invited to decorate snowball cookies, using whipped cream and sprinkles. The program was a huge success. The opportunity for us to teach about Canada has given us the ability to strengthen the connection that we are beginning to build with the children.

In addition to our time at Kadima every afternoon, we have started to volunteer elsewhere in the community in the mornings. While the logistics of these volunteer activities are still to be fine tuned, we hope to be able to lead activities at local schools, a centre for elderly residents, a nursery and the community garden. More to come on these activities in our next post, but for now, we’re off to enjoy the 40 degree weather!

Yom Yerushalayim

Every year on Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), a memorial ceremony is held on Har Herzl for the 4000 Ethiopians who lost their lives in the journey from Ethiopia, through Sudan, as they tried to get to Israel.  We got up very early, waited for a bus that was 45 minutes late and were finally on our way.  After sharing some delicious Ethiopian breads on the bus, we arrived at Har Herzl for a very moving ceremony.  Musical performances; speeches from politicians (including Shimon Peres); prayers from the spiritual leaders of the Ethiopian community; and a wreath hanging ceremony left hardly a dry eye in the stadium.

Getting Acquainted with Bat Yam

After a relaxing Shabbat together as a new group (with much time spent on the beach), we began our orientation. We began by learning the history of the Ethiopian aliyot and discussed the issues facing the Ethiopian community in Israel.  Laura, from United Israel Appeal and Leah, from the Jewish Agency, described the work that is being done in Bat Yam with the Ethiopian community.  

As a group, we explored the concept of Tikkun Olam, repairing our world, and began to consider guiding questions for our experience. We then had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the various social services in Bat Yam.  Because of the many talents of our group, the staff were arguing over which volunteers would go to which organizations.  It was nice to feel so wanted!  We finished off our orientation with an inspiring and thought-provoking session on what it means to be a volunteer and had the chance to explore our motivations for participating in this programme.

 

We also had our first session at the Kadima Centre, the youth centre at which we will be spending our afternoons.  We started tutoring in English, and played a rousing game of “Twister” to teach colours, left and right.  In true Israeli fashion, things were very energetic (and hectic), but we’re very excited to get to know the kids and plan fun and exciting programmes.

We’ve also been working on our Hebrew and started a house dictionary.  New entries in our milon (dictionary) include:

Ezeh kef! = That’s fun!

Me’anyan = interesting

Metzuyan = excellent

Our apartment is amazing, we’re only a short walk from the beach and we’re just a bus ride away from Tel Aviv.  Navigating the bus system may be difficult, but getting lost is the best way to bond with each other.