Mo’adon No’ar Bet Shemesh: Day Two (Dispatches from an American Volunteer)
What's up, Internet!
Adi again, reporting back from the trenches of the Beit Shemesh Youth Center. The center was relatively quiet this Tuesday; half the kids who usually come were on a school trip, and a significant minority were at a town-wide cultural event called "the shuuk," which to me sounded more like a street fair than an open-air market. Hailu, the center's director, explained that students go to the shuuk both to hang out and to help their parents, many of whom man stalls or booths.
There were two girls at the center this week, one of whom (let's call her "Devorah") solicited my help with her English homework. She didn't have any of her school things with her, but promised to bring a week's worth of homework next Tuesday; I'm excited for our study date. I think I will call Hailu on Monday and ask him to remind her--I actually miss English homework!
I had a tiny mission to carry out on Tuesday, which totally failed. An extremely mature and giving girl in the States has made ENP her Bat Mitzvah charity, and requested that all her Bat Mitzvah gifts go to us. I was supposed to film the kids saying Mazal Tov and Thank You so she could feel the personal impact of her (wonderful) choices--but none of them were interested. Maybe it's because I'm new and they don't feel comfortable "performing" (in a sense) in front of someone they don't know. Or maybe it's just that they're normal thirteen-year-olds who aren't totally comfortable in their own skins--I certainly hated being photographed when I was a teenager. Whatever it is, I'm a little disappointed about the lack of enthusiasm, though I understand it.
I spent a good amount of time talking to Hailu about his vision for the center; he showed me a bunch of lesson plans about cultural identity, Ethiopian history, Amharic...really impressive stuff that the kids will definitely appreciate. (I tried my best to learn an Amharic proverb about the importance of patience, but I've forgotten it now. What a beautiful language--it sounds rich and evocative, even when I don't know what's being said.) He also told me a little bit about his background, which was fascinating. One of the best things about going to the center is the personal interactions and stories that I hear; the kids aren't particularly forthcoming, but sometimes they'll share bits and pieces of their stories, for which I'm grateful.
That's all for this week. I'll update again next week; hopefully my English tutoring will have yielded some fruit!
Adi again, reporting back from the trenches of the Beit Shemesh Youth Center. The center was relatively quiet this Tuesday; half the kids who usually come were on a school trip, and a significant minority were at a town-wide cultural event called "the shuuk," which to me sounded more like a street fair than an open-air market. Hailu, the center's director, explained that students go to the shuuk both to hang out and to help their parents, many of whom man stalls or booths.
There were two girls at the center this week, one of whom (let's call her "Devorah") solicited my help with her English homework. She didn't have any of her school things with her, but promised to bring a week's worth of homework next Tuesday; I'm excited for our study date. I think I will call Hailu on Monday and ask him to remind her--I actually miss English homework!
I had a tiny mission to carry out on Tuesday, which totally failed. An extremely mature and giving girl in the States has made ENP her Bat Mitzvah charity, and requested that all her Bat Mitzvah gifts go to us. I was supposed to film the kids saying Mazal Tov and Thank You so she could feel the personal impact of her (wonderful) choices--but none of them were interested. Maybe it's because I'm new and they don't feel comfortable "performing" (in a sense) in front of someone they don't know. Or maybe it's just that they're normal thirteen-year-olds who aren't totally comfortable in their own skins--I certainly hated being photographed when I was a teenager. Whatever it is, I'm a little disappointed about the lack of enthusiasm, though I understand it.
I spent a good amount of time talking to Hailu about his vision for the center; he showed me a bunch of lesson plans about cultural identity, Ethiopian history, Amharic...really impressive stuff that the kids will definitely appreciate. (I tried my best to learn an Amharic proverb about the importance of patience, but I've forgotten it now. What a beautiful language--it sounds rich and evocative, even when I don't know what's being said.) He also told me a little bit about his background, which was fascinating. One of the best things about going to the center is the personal interactions and stories that I hear; the kids aren't particularly forthcoming, but sometimes they'll share bits and pieces of their stories, for which I'm grateful.
That's all for this week. I'll update again next week; hopefully my English tutoring will have yielded some fruit!
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