The Beginning of my ENP Journey...

Shalom, my name is Linda Castillo and I am the newest addition to the wonderful ENP blog. I am a study abroad student at Hebrew University's Rothberg International School from the University of Pennsylvania. I will be starting my fourth, and final, year of college in the fall. I arrived in Israel with the intention of staying for one semester, approximately four months. Faced with the bitter idea that I would have to leave Israel, I decided to extend my stay for one year. I hope to volunteer with ENP for the rest of my stay.

It has been a couple of weeks since my first mission with ENP which took place in Beit Shemesh. To most, the idea of a post about an experience that occurred "that long ago" may seem daunting. However, the impression it made is long lived and fresh. It was my first mission, and actually, my first time volunteering with ENP. I had already read the 5 Year Report on ENP's work, browsed through the site and received a general idea of what ENP does. However, when I arrived with the ENP team, I must admit that nothing I had read did justice to ENP's work.

When the group of visiting Rabbis arrived, we watched an introductory video about the problems that Ethiopians face and are struggling to solve. I was in shock at my own lack of knowledge and understanding on the subject. During the video, it was interesting to see other jaws drop as we all learned about the topic together.

After the video Michelle, the International Relations Coordinator led everyone through an exercise about how the leaders of a community come together to consolidate their thoughts and decide where funding should be allocated. Difficult indeed.

The most heart moving part of the night was hearing first hand from someone who had benefited from ENP’s work. Efrat Mekonen shared her amazing story of her journey to Israel, including unbelievable miracles that made my skin line up with goose-bumps. I even noticed that some of the visitors pulled out handkerchiefs and shyly tapped away their tears. Efrat serves her community as an Ethiopian-Israeli lay leader in Beit Shemesh. She has participated in the ENP Community Empowerment program in Beit Shemesh supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. It was moving to listen to her explain that her political activism and her strong will stemmed, in part from ENP’s work – an organization in which I now participated.

At the end of the mission, an Ethiopian Rabbi gave his personal story and shared the differences between Ethiopian Jewry and what many people would call "mainstream" Jewry. I was fascinated by his words. He made Aliyah 12 1/2 years ago and studied at a Yeshiva school and then attained a college education. It was the first time that I heard a first hand account of how a person bridges the gap between the traditions taught in Ethiopia and a Yeshiva teaching here. His wisdom seemed well though out:

"Bridging the gap came with time. I just decided to be as religious as I want to be in my home and participate outside of my home just enough to bring the community together through our traditions."

As I look back to my first time volunteering with ENP, I cannot help but grin. I remember thinking that night, I too am now a part of a movement of empowerment, of change, of active participants. The mission added a personal component to my newfound volunteering experience. I cannot wait to see what other members of the Ethiopian community have to share with me. I cannot wait to learn and to see the development of a community.