Stories and Pathways

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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 l...

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...