Terrie's Latest Adventures
I must say I have been very busy which I love! Last Monday, I went with Daniel from the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) to Beit Shemesh to paint apartments. We arrived and no one else was there. No supplies, and no one was home in the designated apartments. So, we waited, and waited and finally some people came and Daniel bought a weed eater and the yard was cleaned. I had to get back to Kiryat Malachi for a program that evening, so I left not having painted. I hear that the work was done later that day and the next day. That is all that mattered. (40 soldiers were supposed to lend a helping hand but had to cancel at the last minute due to a Civil Defense exercise that took place in Israel the next day. Other volunteers arrived after work.)
That evening, I had the opportunity to attend the dedication of 2 benches that the children from the Science Class had made with people who go to a club. They all have Cerebral Palsy. All 80 high schools in Israel are partnered with a club for disabled children or seniors. The purpose is to come up with a project in which all can participate. These kids and club members cleared a very weed full yard and put all of the garbage into car tires. The tires were on cinder blocks. Then, the tires were sealed with cement and painted. Voila, two beautiful benches now adorn the yard. Unbelievable. The parents, kids and even the Mayor attended the ceremony. I was very touched and think it was the most moving experience I have had in Israel. The interaction between the 9th graders and their new friends is genuine and sincere. A lot of barriers were overcome in order to make this wonderful program such a success. This is the third year that Sari, the Science teacher, and her students have done this. My hat is off to them.
I continue to work on Wednesday afternoons with the Enrichment Program for ENP. The kids are preparing for their English proficiency exam and that is the focus of our lesson. They are beginning to feel more comfortable speaking English, but writing is another thing. Their sentences tend to be very basic and repetitive. Sivan and I worked on "spicing" them up and including time words which is what the test readers will be looking for. I work with the same children during the day, so we know each other and I know what their assignment is. There is also a comfort level there and that is great! The girls are much more verbal and animated than the boys who are quite reserved.
I had a new experience last week! There was a drill with the siren all over Israel so that in case of an emergency, one would know what to do. Well, I was at the Day Care Center and 20 of us crammed into one office for ten minutes. The siren sounded like a low Shofar blast and lasted 30 seconds. I had no idea what to expect. I guess it is like a fire drill, but the women were talking about how it was a few months ago when a missile hit here and it was for real. This is taken very seriously as you can imagine!
Traveling continues to be included whenever there is time! I went with Chayim and Aliza to Eilat for Shabbat to be with their daughter, son-in-law and children. It was like being in Tucson but with a beach. It was 104 degrees and the water in the sea was cold! Oh, yes, but it is a dry heat! They live on the kibbutz on which their son-in-law grew up. His parents and 2 brothers still live there. There were 15 of us for Shabbat dinner. It was so wonderful being with so much family! I only wish my Hebrew were better so I could join in more of the conversation. The 3 brothers have been to the US numerous times so we could converse. It was a great weekend!
Shula, the high school English teacher with whom I work, took me to Ashdod Sunday evening. We walked on the beach and had coffee in a small cafe. It was really nice to be somewhere new and visit with her. Her family came to Israel in the 1930's from Iran. Yesterday, she had a meeting in Tel Aviv and I went with her. While she was in her meeting, I went to the Etzel and Jabotinski Museums and learned all about the Irgun, the Haganah, (the underground resistance fighters in Israel who helped oust the British) and Jabotinsky. From there to Shuk HaCarmel and to the Dizengoff Center's mall. It is 3 stores with 7 offshoots. It was huge!! Just nice to be somewhere new exploring.
Off to tutor! More adventures to follow, I am sure!
Love to you all,
Terrie
ENP's work in Kiryat Malachi is supported by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, and the Jewish Federation of Orange County.
That evening, I had the opportunity to attend the dedication of 2 benches that the children from the Science Class had made with people who go to a club. They all have Cerebral Palsy. All 80 high schools in Israel are partnered with a club for disabled children or seniors. The purpose is to come up with a project in which all can participate. These kids and club members cleared a very weed full yard and put all of the garbage into car tires. The tires were on cinder blocks. Then, the tires were sealed with cement and painted. Voila, two beautiful benches now adorn the yard. Unbelievable. The parents, kids and even the Mayor attended the ceremony. I was very touched and think it was the most moving experience I have had in Israel. The interaction between the 9th graders and their new friends is genuine and sincere. A lot of barriers were overcome in order to make this wonderful program such a success. This is the third year that Sari, the Science teacher, and her students have done this. My hat is off to them.
I continue to work on Wednesday afternoons with the Enrichment Program for ENP. The kids are preparing for their English proficiency exam and that is the focus of our lesson. They are beginning to feel more comfortable speaking English, but writing is another thing. Their sentences tend to be very basic and repetitive. Sivan and I worked on "spicing" them up and including time words which is what the test readers will be looking for. I work with the same children during the day, so we know each other and I know what their assignment is. There is also a comfort level there and that is great! The girls are much more verbal and animated than the boys who are quite reserved.
I had a new experience last week! There was a drill with the siren all over Israel so that in case of an emergency, one would know what to do. Well, I was at the Day Care Center and 20 of us crammed into one office for ten minutes. The siren sounded like a low Shofar blast and lasted 30 seconds. I had no idea what to expect. I guess it is like a fire drill, but the women were talking about how it was a few months ago when a missile hit here and it was for real. This is taken very seriously as you can imagine!
Traveling continues to be included whenever there is time! I went with Chayim and Aliza to Eilat for Shabbat to be with their daughter, son-in-law and children. It was like being in Tucson but with a beach. It was 104 degrees and the water in the sea was cold! Oh, yes, but it is a dry heat! They live on the kibbutz on which their son-in-law grew up. His parents and 2 brothers still live there. There were 15 of us for Shabbat dinner. It was so wonderful being with so much family! I only wish my Hebrew were better so I could join in more of the conversation. The 3 brothers have been to the US numerous times so we could converse. It was a great weekend!
Shula, the high school English teacher with whom I work, took me to Ashdod Sunday evening. We walked on the beach and had coffee in a small cafe. It was really nice to be somewhere new and visit with her. Her family came to Israel in the 1930's from Iran. Yesterday, she had a meeting in Tel Aviv and I went with her. While she was in her meeting, I went to the Etzel and Jabotinski Museums and learned all about the Irgun, the Haganah, (the underground resistance fighters in Israel who helped oust the British) and Jabotinsky. From there to Shuk HaCarmel and to the Dizengoff Center's mall. It is 3 stores with 7 offshoots. It was huge!! Just nice to be somewhere new exploring.
Off to tutor! More adventures to follow, I am sure!
Love to you all,
Terrie
ENP's work in Kiryat Malachi is supported by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, and the Jewish Federation of Orange County.
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