A Volunteer's Adventure at ENP

By: Jessica Shankman

ENP Volunteer
Career Israel
Student at University of Minnesota- Twin Cities

    

The first week at the Lod site has been filled with surprises. Finding the site was, of course, the first part of the adventure. Being my first week in Israel at all, it was natural that I would be unsure of how the navigation from Tel Aviv would progress. I was so pleasantly surprised to find myself being led around by various Lod natives. They were friendly, direct and so willing to help out. And I did end up making it to the site, just a few minutes over time.

            Upon arrival to the ENP center I was amazed at what they had done with the place. The building was filled with radiant colors, handprints, signs—so many signs of the activity of the people in the center. Our coordinator pointed out each spot that volunteers had stepped in to help renovate the center some years back. One wall was filled with these volunteers’ names and pictures, while the others are painted with murals, quotes, and the children’s names. It was immediately clear that the ENP center has become a central hub for these kids to hang out and be with friends.

            In the last week and a half, I have traveled to the Lod center three times. Each visit has included different activities for the kids, all of which were beyond my expectation. They have a debate lecturer come in each week, music lessons, a soccer team, as well as many excursions around the area. I was initially quite nervous for what reaction my presence would evoke from the kids at ENP. Would they be excited to have an American there to help? Would they be totally turned off to the idea? Or would they simply ignore me? I was pleased to find that the kids have been warm and welcoming. They often look to find common ground, even though many of them speak little-to-no English. So far, I have found that they are more than open to trying to converse, whether it’s about their love for Michael Jackson, Beyonce, or the World Cup series. In fact, many of the conversations that we have been able to struggle though (on my end of course) revolve around our common tastes in music. Many of the kids have taken time to show me what’s on their iPod and are excited to see that I listen to a lot of the same songs!

            Another surprise for me was being asked to attend the boys’ soccer game in the evening.  Though I wasn’t sure what to expect, this felt really special to me. We sat and cheered the Lod team on while the kids played their heart out on the field. It is clearly such a source of passion for most of them. Although they didn’t win every game, their attitudes were supportive throughout the entire tournament, which impressed me greatly. This showed me how fun the sport is for them, and how it’s not just about the competition for them. The boys seemed so close to one another—it was amazing to watch.

            While the language barrier will certainly pose a challenge, I’m really looking forward to learning alongside the kids at ENP. It’s clear that this will be a summer of growth and I’m eager to see what the next few weeks bring!