Stories and Pathways

By Gabriella Feingold ENP Volunteer This week was an especially productive week at Yeshivat Netivot Chayim .  I took the light rail straight to the school and started off right away with my first tutoring session. My students, Noam and Yaakov are at very different levels of English. Yaakov can speak in full sentences and Noam has very little vocabulary at his disposal.  So I juggled encouraging Yaakov with some more challenging reading and writing exercises with the hope that he would learn some new vocabulary.  Meanwhile, I went through the parts of the body with Noam playing a sort of "Simon Says" to help him study them.  We also worked on question words (who, what, where, why, how, how many) and practiced asking different useful questions. Next, Mola and Yosef came in for a tutoring session.  They are at similar reading levels, but as we read the passage about frogs and tadpoles together, I couldn't keep up with all of the vocabulary they asked for! It was a cha

By Rachel Slater ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This week at ENP I worked with two boys named Yonas and Arush. They worked on math word problems that dealt with temperatures of different substances. They also made number lines to compare numerical values. The boys and I became instant friends because we bonded over basketball player, LeBron James, from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both Yonas and Arush were so excited to learn that I live in the same city as their favorite player. They loved talking about the different sports they play and activities they do after school. They also told us a number of jokes, which made us all laugh. Even with their lively personalities, they were able to complete their math homework before class was over. It was a great week at ENP, and I'm glad I got to work with two new boys this week. 

By  Talia Klein ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah At the beginning of this week's session, I was introduced to a new student at the SPACE Scholastic Assistance Program . I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him because he was highly motivated and also welcoming of guidance and instruction. We worked together for the entirety of the session, as he chose not to utilize his allotted break time because he wanted to make more headway in his work. Not only was I impressed by his focus, but I was also really happy to watch this child independently work hard through the challenging assignment. I literally saw him racking his brain to succeed - it was quite motivating. Perhaps what stuck with me most was at the end of the tutoring session when he said to me very genuinely, "Thank you so much, it was very nice to meet you." This was the first student I encountered who acknowledged the help he was receiving and the relationships that were forming. I l

Melanie Rivkin ENP Intern MASA Teaching Fellow in Ashdod Before coming to Ashdod, Israel this year, I had recently completed the Repair the World: Pittsburgh fellowship, a program dedicated to mobilizing volunteers in urban communities, specifically those between the ages of 18-35. I volunteered with East End Cooperative Ministries (EECM), a non-profit organization that has served the city’s East End neighborhoods through programs in food access, education, housing, and employment since the 1970s. EECM is located in my former neighborhood, East Liberty, in Pittsburgh. Despite its status as a mixed-income and multiracial neighborhood, there are still many socioeconomic divides between East Liberty’s residents. EECM provided me with the opportunity to directly give back to my former community, to get to know my neighbors and to bridge gaps between us. Although I am less familiar with community structures in Israel, Ethiopian Jewry contains a culture that I have always been fascina

By  Talia Klein ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This past Wednesday seemed to be a breakthrough with the students, with much thanks to the Gymnasia School 's coordinator, Aviva, who facilitated a more structured session by having us start the day off by personally introducing ourselves in front of all the students. We shared where we live in the US, what we are doing in Israel/for how long, etc. Immediately upon hearing of our hometowns, the male students asked about specific professional basketball players from the different NBA teams, and through that we found connections and similar interests.  Afterwards, we were each placed to work individually with one or two students, as opposed to trying to balance the whole classroom at the same time, as we had done in the past. I noticed that this method was much more conducive to our learning. It was less intimidating for the students, I believe, and made it a little bit more personal. This past week, the volunteering was

By  Aleeza Dessau  ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This week at ENP, we had a fun time learning about the Amish!  The students learned where they live and how they dress from reading together in text books and even a cool video about Amish life. After learning about the Amish, we were able to learn a little bit about each other by playing fun games like hangman, and even a cool word search. I really got to know my students a lot better and hope to continue learning more about them as the year goes on.

By  Talia Klein ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This week's volunteering was more of a challenge in terms of the students' composure. I found myself having to work harder to encourage them to focus and to complete their assignments. While I was in the awkward position of not wanting to be too stern with them but also wanting them to sit down and get their work done, I think it is important that I was put in this position. These kids need some disciplining, I have begun to realize, and while it is not my responsibility to be a behavior police, it is my responsibility to build a relationship with these kids in order that they gain my trust and thus respect me and others. I am up for the challenge!

By  Mona Mizikovsky ENP Intern MASA Teaching Fellow in Rishon L'Zion While reading one of the end-of-year reports to one of our amazing funders I came across this phrase: "It is important to note that the Government of Israel invests millions of shekels in the effort to register an improvement of single digit increases in matriculation rates for the general national population.  ENP has succeeded in improving performance ay a phenomenal scale, with minimal investment per child" This phrase really got me thinking.  Initially about how successful ENP is at closing the educational gap by providing its participants with additional study assistance, lunch and academic and social support.  But also more generally about education. It's really amazing how a few additional hours of small group tutorials based on a child's needs can make a difference.   In the grand scheme of things the scholastic assistance program doesn't seem like much but the changes it pr

By  Mona Mizikovsky ENP Intern, MASA Teaching Fellow in Rishon L'Zion The last week at ENP has been all about marketing and fundraising.   I have been given the opportunity to redesign the marketing card that ENP uses at various events.  I've been having a lot of fun looking into different options for the card but I am hoping to do something related to Ethiopian food because that is one of my favourite things about Ethiopian culture.  I was researching berebere last Thursday and apart from being ridiculously spicy, it seems to be a wonder spice that can basically be added to anything. Apart from marketing, I have also been finalising a few grant applications, some to big corporations and others to smaller foundations.  It only costs $1,000 USD for each child to take part in the scholastic assistance program with this covering the extra tutoring, lunch and other activities, like field trips, for the whole year.  I really hope these organisations see the great work that E

By Rachel Slater ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah My second week at ENP was exciting! The class room was very lively. The girls and boys were more talkative than last week. After Hadas and Racheli finished their delicious sandwiches, they started their math homework. This week the math consisted of addition and subtraction with multiple numbers. After I showed them some quick trick to make the problems simpler, the girls were able to complete the worksheets without barely any help. It's great to see Hadas and Racheli solve the problems by their selves because they get so excited and they recognize that they can do it on their own. Not only did we do math, but we continued to get to know each other. I can't wait to further build our friendship. 

By Gabriella Feingold ENP Volunteer This week began with a lot of apprehension. I was to go to the schools I am volunteering at this year and talk about what I'll be doing. I had no idea what to expect! And everyone kept speaking in Hebrew! But then, I discovered the gratefulness of the staff and the willingness of the students. Just from two 10-minute meetings, the potential of my volunteer experience unfolded before my eyes.  At Yeshivat Netivot Shalom , I met five boys with whom I will do extra English exercises to help strengthen their English studies. I expected teenage boys at the end of their school day to be disinterested, but they just listened attentively as I introduced myself and asked if I could start that day! (I couldn't, because I had no lesson plan prepared - but they certainly made me want to!) At Ulpanat Tzvia Yitziratit I met the Hebrew teacher, the principal, and the curriculum manager all of whom were thrilled that I am volunteering my time. Whe

By Aleeza Hartstein ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This past week I have the opportunity to volunteer at the Gymnasia School in Jerusalem with two Ethiopian boys in the seventh grade. At first they were a little hesitant to jump into their school work but after a few minutes they warmed up to me and we got to work. I volunteered to be put into the group that was teaching math thinking it would be basic algebra which I was fine with. The hard part wasn't converting 8/3 into a fraction, but deciphering the instructions which were in Hebrew and then trying to explain to the boys how to do the problem in Hebrew. After about an hour of slowly going through the worksheet (with much help from Google translate) we finally finished their school work and called it a day. It was a very fun yet challenging experience and I'm looking forward to working with the kids and getting to know them better throughout the year. 

By Rachel Slater ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This was my first week working with ENP! It was a great experience. The girls I spent the day with are named Racheli and Hadas. They are both very sweet and talkative. The girls had one worksheet of math, and they completed it with ease. After finishing the worksheet, we talked about our families and and got to know each other. I look forward to getting to know Racheli and Hadas better as the year goes on! 

By  Penina Gershbaum ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This past Wednesday I volunteered in an Israeli public school to help teach English to Ethiopian children who need some additional English lessons. It was a really eye-opening experience working with these children. I had never worked with Ethiopian children before and I had never tutored anyone in English. There were 4 students who were scheduled for extra lessons, one who knew English pretty well and the other three were each on different levels. We were each given a student, and were given a worksheet with a few paragraphs and questions that the student had to complete. I thought I would just help the student with a few words she didn't understand or had trouble pronouncing, but I didn't realize how little she knew. We sat for an hour and a half working on the sheet, and we just finished reading a three paragraph passage. I helped her pronounce words she had trouble with, and translated many words into Heb

By  Talia Klein ENP Volunteer Student at Midreshet Moriah This past Wednesday I began working with a handful of Ethiopian students at the Gymnasia School. Upon entering and being met by swarms of students, I was immediately excited because this was one of the first Israeli schools I had ever entered. I consulted briefly with the math teacher responsible for the children with whom I would be working and instantly found that I was really going to have to utilize my Hebrew, much more than I had expected when deciding to work with the Ethiopian National Project, which strives to integrate Ethiopian-Israelis into Israeli society. But this was the best news of the day as I was able to spend a few hours outside the confines of my midrasha  (seminary program) at which I study to experience true Israeli culture and learning.  This week I had the opportunity to work with two seventh grade girls who needed math assistance. We got to know each other a little and then delved right into their

By  Mona Mizikovsky ENP Intern, MASA Teaching Fellow in Rishon L'Zion Hi! My name is Mona and I am a university graduate from Brisbane, Australia.  I recently moved to Israel for 10 months as an Israel Teaching Fellow living in Rishon LeZion.  I will be volunteering with ENP for the next 8 months in the International Relations Team. While I have only had 1.5 days in the office I feel like I have already learnt so much about ENP and the incredible work that it does. Learning that the matriculation rate among ENP participants has nearly reached the national Jewish average and the superior performance of ENP participants in contrast to comparison group of similar background really proved to me that ENP is doing such important work. My job over the next 8 months will be to assist with fund-raising, marketing and social media and I can tell you already, there is a lot of work to be done even to get the smallest amount of money for ENP. However, after hearing about the

By Orit Honigsberg ENP Intern, Fall 2014 Student at Bar Ilan University Most of my days I spend working with numbers and facts as I write applications and letters, appealing to different corporations to help ENP’s worthy cause. Statistics of the Ethiopian-Israeli community clearly indicate the necessity of ENP’s work. The latest report will tell you that Ethiopian-Israeli families are larger than the average Israeli family-almost half having 3 or more children. 44.7% of Ethiopian-Israeli families with children live in poverty. 12.7% of Ethiopian-Israeli families are dual-breadwinner poor. 45% of Ethiopian-Israeli women have no education and/or certifications. 47.3% of Ethiopian-Israeli children are placed in the lowest tracks at school, resulting in their inability to study the material that will make the college-eligible.  Additionally, while 46% of Israelis pay for supplementary tutoring for their children during high school, this is a luxury that most Ethiopian-Israeli fami

By Orit Honigsberg ENP Intern, Fall 2014 Student at Bar Ilan University After continued research about ENP’s programs, I’ve come across the organization's plans for expansion. The Government of Israel has recommended that as of the academic year 2015, ENP serve as coordinating body for all educational programs for Ethiopian-Israeli school-aged children nationally. What this means is  that the Program will expand from its current 4000 students (approximately) to  include more than 12,000 students across the country. ENP will also increase the  monitoring of its participants over multi-year periods, as well as after their  graduation from the Program. While reading this information, I felt so grateful that  ENP’s work has gained such significant recognition and acknowledgment by the  Israeli Government, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the  Ministry of Immigration. This expansion will take lots of resources and funds and  inspires me to work even harder

By: Michelle Markowitz ENP 2014 Intern Fresh off of a year of volunteering with ENP, I returned to Camp Ramah in the Poconos determined to spread the word to campers and staff members alike. I developed a new curriculum which would introduce groups of campers to untold Jewish narratives from around the world, with the main focus being on Ethiopian Jews. We spent two days talking about the experience of Ethiopian Jews as they left their home and traveled to Israel, and the campers were able to complete activities that allowed them to put themselves in the shoes of a new immigrant in a new land.  We were even able to have a guest speaker talk to the group, as one of the staff members at camp was an Ethiopian-Israeli. On the second day of our class, I told the campers that they would have the opportunity to participate in a Pen-Pal Project, where they would write letters to Ethiopian-Israeli teens and could hear first hand from them what it’s like to grow up as an Ethiopian-Israeli

By Orit Honigsberg ENP Intern, Fall 2014 Student at Bar Ilan University Just successfully completed my second week as an Ethiopian National Project intern! After hours and hours of reading about ENP’s work, and old reports, I can sprout off fun facts about the organization like a pro.  This skill of sounding like a veteran ENP employee is coming in handy. For all of the phone calls I’ve been making-especially those in Hebrew- I am required to sound competent, confident, and well versed in ENP’s work. In any other place, making cold calls might feel a bit like telemarketing. However, Israel, as always, proves it is not like any other country. While targeting some major Israeli corporations, I’ve been transferred a billion times, and have been turned down bluntly once or twice as well (which is to be expected). However, even those who turn me down tell me Kol HaKavod  for trying. When the nice lady at HaMashbir LeTzarchan  (and Israeli department store) told me ENP wasn’t eligible,

By Lisa Raizes ENP Volunteer Summer 2014 Student at Southern Methodist University After serving with The Ethiopian National Project (ENP) whose purpose is to help Ethiopian immigrants and their families succeed in Israel, I asked myself one question: Why do Ethiopian-Israelis have a harder time integrating into Israeli society than other immigrant groups? Coming from a Markets and Culture perspective, I realized that one very influential reason is that there is a huge culture gap between Ethiopian-Israelis and Israelis. Transitioning from a “developing nation with a rural economy” to a “Western country with a high-tech market economy” does not come without its problems (“History”). Israel maintains a very innovative, high-tech economy, having “the highest concentration of engineers and research and development spending in the world” (Senor & Singer, 9). Not only that, but “more Israeli companies are listed on the NASDAQ exchange than all companies from the entire Europea

By Lisa Raizes ENP Volunteer Summer 2014 Student at Southern Methodist University It’s been a little over a month since I left ENP and came back home to Texas. The last day at my center was very emotional. The staff gave me a picture frame with pictures of the memories I had made at ENP along with a sweet letter. Some of the kids wrote me notes or drew me pictures. There were times I had wondered if I had gotten through to the kids with the language barrier we faced, but in this moment I knew my time at ENP had been meaningful. I could tell that even small things like playing a game of checkers had made an impact on them. Showing genuine passion and care is not something you have to say. I showed it, and I knew the kids had seen it. I still think of the youth and staff at my center frequently. I wonder how the girls nights have gone since I’ve been home, if the kids are improving in their English, if they are happy, if they think of me like I think of them. I don’t just think ab

By Lisa Raizes ENP Volunteer Summer 2014 Student at Southern Methodist University What does ENP do? A Volunteer’s Perspective Note: Although ENP has multiple programs, I am specifically focusing on their Youth Outreach Centers since that is where I served during my summer with ENP. I recently came across an evaluation study of ENP from the Myers-JDC Brookdale Institute in 2005-2007 and thought it would be helpful to provide their statistics here. The study provides an in depth look at ENP’s youth outreach centers although it is important to keep in mind that the study was done a couple of years ago. The statistics in the study explain overall characteristics of ENP’s youth outreach centers, and not specifically the one I served at.  To understand what ENP’s youth outreach centers do, it is important to understand the general characteristics of the youth that these centers serve. The following statistical characteristics were taken from the Myers-JDC Brookdale Evlauation study

By Orit Honigsberg ENP Intern, Fall 2014 Student at Bar Ilan University This week, I began an exiting new endeavor as an intern at the Ethiopian National Project. My job is behind-the-scenes, helping out with grant writing and fundraising. When I began this position, it was slightly daunting as this is an area I have no previous experience in. I spent my first day poring over old reports, familiarizing myself with ENP’s work, and trying to gain an understanding for the organization’s focuses and future goals. With each report, I grew increasingly touched and impressed. Touched, because these children, who are so deserving of equal opportunity and the chance at a brighter future, are being provided with the chance to improve. Reading through some of the student’s personal accounts and understanding ENP’s work in-action was incredibly moving, especially the charts which boast the incredible success rate of ENP’s programs. Today, I reflected back on my own educational experience

By Lisa Raizes ENP Volunteer Summer 2014 Student at Southern Methodist University This summer, I spent two months volunteering in Israel with the Ethiopian National Project (ENP), a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help Ethiopian immigrants and their families succeed in Israel. ENP has many programs, but I specifically worked at one of their youth outreach centers . I remember my first day: the staff at my center was very kind and the kids were the sweetest! When I arrived, there was definitely a language barrier between the children and myself. They all spoke fluent Hebrew, while I was just a beginner in Hebrew. Sometimes the kids pulled out their phones to use google translate to converse with me. Over time, my Hebrew improved, but I was still nowhere near the level I would have liked to be at. Through this obstacle, I learned that you do not have to solely rely on conversation to communicate with kids. Playing soccer, drawing together, or playing chess still bro

By Nicole Heker ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via JInternship Student at  Pennsylvania State University The kids that I had the opportunity of meeting at Petah Tikva this week took me by surprise. A little nervous for my first day on the job, I spent some time surfing the Internet hoping to prepare myself for the cultural diversity that I was to encounter, being that prior to my first time in Israel, I was unaware of the dynamic Ethiopian-Israeli community that existed. Even post-research, I had an image in my mind of what to expect. Walking in to the center at Petah Tikva I was greeted by a group of jokesters and Tupac-enthusiasts. It was an instant connection—music and laughs. After a few minutes of speaking with each other outside they led me to Zehavit, the wonderful leader of the center. I was greeted on the second level by a group of girls around the age of 15 whom I spent the next few hours with. We sat and got to know each other. Some spoke English better then others but thei

By Elyse Waksman  ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Onward Boston Israel Student at Clark University             Today is my final day interning here in Jerusalem, but definitely not the end of my work with ENP. Recently, I’ve been working with a few other interns on designing a layout for the annual report to come out in October. As soon as I get back to campus, I plan to physically create the layout on a computer program so that our original ideas can become a reality. We’re really focused on making the presentation of the report more professional and appealing so that the content will stand out more than in the past. This is especially important this year, as ENP hopes to expand to help more and more youth at younger ages. I also plan to bring ENP to Clark by starting a pen pal club on my campus, which will allow for overseas connections with Ethiopian-Israeli youth, as well as mentorship, cultural exchange, and English practice. I hope that this will continue my relations with th

By Jessica Shankman ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Career Israel Student at University of of Minnesota Last Sunday marked the end of my time as an intern at the Lod ENP center. To celebrate the end of the summer, we made a poster with everyone’s handprints and names. We also worked on a project outside where we asked the kids to trace each other on the ground with sidewalk chalk. After the bodies were outlined, we asked the kids to write aspects of themselves for certain parts of their body; they wrote about their dreams near their head, the things they care about most near their hearts, and where they wish to go in their future near their feet.  Of course they added much more creativity to their art, coloring in the outlines and using the chalk to graffiti the ground. Afterwards, the courtyard was glowing with bright color. It turned into a beautiful mural! At the end of the day, we brought cake and sat down to say our toda rabahs (thank yous) and l’hitraots (see yous). The ex

By Ryan Youra  ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Onward Hillel Graduate from American University I can't believe my time with the Ethiopian National Project here in Jerusalem is ending. After helping organize and run a summer camp for Ethiopian-Israeli girls, I worked in the office, helping redesign ENP’s annual report. We had a chance to think critically about ENP’s work and its overall message. We thought about what makes a project. Is it resources? Is it the initial goals and missions? Is it a program? The people? The supporters? The community? From my time here, it’s clear that a successful project is truly a combination, a melting pot of all those component parts. This past week I heard an incredible Ethiopian proverb: “Many spider webs can catch even a lion.” I’ve learned that this summer. I’ve learned a lot about the Ethiopian-Israeli community here, its challenges, and its vast potential. I’ve learned to communicate without a common language. I’ve learned to

Tatiana Hasson Onward Israel Intern University of Maryland   Looking back on this summer and my work with ENP, I can truly say that my experience was eye opening, unique, challenging and unique all at the same time. Working with the population of teenage girls who recently made aliyah from Ethiopia was not a simply undertaking- yet there is no doubt in my mind that it was worth it. While it was initially difficult for us counselors to connect with the girls, due to language and cultural barriers, by the end it was just as difficult to say good-bye. Through activities, learning, and joking with our campers, I truly felt a bond with the girls. While I personally have had much experience working with Ethiopian Israelis, this experience was different. I had never spent so much time consistently with such recent olim from Ethiopia. Being that they are so new to Israel, their Ethiopian culture is so deeply engrained and apparent in almost everything they did. Whether it was through liste

By Maya Katz-Ali  ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Onward Boston Israel Student at Clark University             In this last week in my internship I really have developed so much in my research and interview methods. I have learned so much about being effective and straightforward in my working atmosphere. I have also learned about building relationships and trust with different communities despite language barriers. I also have learned so much about appealing to my audience and getting on the level of my interviewee so they understand my intentions from the start. Trading STORIES, MINE FOR THEIRS. I feel I could go on about what this experience has taught me. Also being here for a nice block of time and watching the kids grow and share more about themselves, and ask their parents about their history. I’ve grown attached.                          It's my  last day here and it feels so weird! They all said thank you to me so sweetly! A couple of them even raised their h

By Maya Katz-Ali  ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Onward Boston Israel Student at Clark University Everyday I feel like I get closer to the students in the center. There are many moments that my volunteer experience distracts me from  the current political situation here in Israel. It reminds me that while our country is undergoing great difficulty, life continues on, river-like, so many twists and turns but always moving on. I have recently added a question of racism to the mix of my interviews. I assure them that they don’t have to answer if it’s not comfortable, and that I won’t put it in the book but that it’s just to raise awareness that this is still sometimes a struggle in Israel. It is a reality that many of them have experienced; it is a part of their story but I think they can grow strong from it. I ask a question of what they want to be when they are older after that question, because I want them to dream and think about how they want to get there. Though I wish

By Rachel Kraus ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Career Israel Student at Brandeis University Unfortunately this past week was a shorter week for me as an intern because the center arranged for the kids to go on a 3 day trip to the North of Israel. But for the time that I was there, I had a blas t! I arrived and, of course, the boys were circled around the pool table; if they could, I’m sure they would play all day, every day. Then the same man who came a few weeks ago to teach them how to make various Ethiopian pottery pieces came. It was his last visit at the center and he wrapped up all this lessons. He also brought back all the art projects they did together and made a big collage out of all of them. I even got to make my own mosaic of my name in Amharic, which was one of their previous projects that I wasn’t there for. I love seeing the boys learn about Ethiopian culture and how excited they get about it, because it’s too easy to be so immersed in Israeli culture and forget

By Ryan Youra  ENP Volunteer Summer 2014, via Onward Hillel Graduate from American University             I went for it. A rip of brown spongy bread, some potatoes and some sauce, and a messy pinch and smiles all around as the sauce dripped down my hand.               I ate Ethiopian food for the first time. Not just any Ethiopian food, but food cooked by my campers. I guess if I was going to finally have it, it might as well be homemade.               For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been volunteering at the Ethiopian National Project (ENP), an organization committed to providing youth outreach assistance and services to Ethiopian-Israelis. I’m currently working at summer camp for recently immigrated Ethiopian-Israeli girls ages 12-16. As a group, the volunteers plan the activities, buy supplies, and then help run the camp on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.               It’s easy to picture Israel as one homogenous population, just a ton of white, European descendant