Stories and Pathways

By Hannah Miller ENP Volunteer Jersusalem During the past three weeks that I’ve volunteered at ENP, I have spent my time both in the office and working with kids in camps and outreach centers.  Last Wednesday, I went on a mission to Hadera and met with people on a Tuscon Federation trip and teens in ENP programs.  All of the kids at the mission were on summer vacation, so I was surprised that they showed up and were so welcoming to the tourists.  They appeared my age, and I thought that if an adult at my school asked me to come in during the summer, I’d find an excuse to say no.  I asked a few of the boys why they decided to come in that day and they all replied that they wanted to help out.  I realized that these teens are so much more appreciative of their school than most people their age because of the programs offered to them through ENP.  Two girls I spoke to, Imbar and Bat El, told me about all of their academic achievements they accomplished wit...

By Mary Dubin ENP Volunteer Onward Israel Boston Jerusalem Ethiopia in Brief- general overview   -         East Africa, 9 th largest in Africa -         Known as the Horn of Africa -         Capital- Addis Ababa- altitude of 2,355m -         Landlocked, no access to sea -         Eritrea used to be a part of Ethiopia, that was their connection to the Sea -         Coffee originated in Ethiopia -         Geographical diversity- Danakil Depression, Great Rift Valley 148m below sea level -         Earthquakes -         70% of Africa’s mountains are in Ethiopia- roof of Africa -         Highest peak is 4620m Ras...

By Alex Sasaki Way More Israel ENP Volunteer Jerusalem   First thing's first, it's never a good idea to travel with others who also have no idea where they’re going. Edgy, and adrenaline filled traveling towards the unknown? Yes. While although it does make it more of an interesting journey, almost similar to Frodo Baggins and his quest in the “One Ring to Rule them All,” time efficiency does apply. Knowing little of the native language, exhaustion, hunger while also uncontainably excited we started our own quest towards making a positive impact in the Ethiopian Jewish community of Beit Shemesh.  When I was first told that we would be working with the Ethiopian-Israeli youth within a bomb shelter, I pictured a small musty room with flickering lights, thick and claustrophobic white walls with impenetrable solid metal blast doors. When we arrived onto Hagefen Street we first passed by the most intricate playground complete with towering slides and a jungle gym almost...

By Jessica Cohen ENP Volunteer Israel Experience Ramla After weeks in the youth center in Ramla it has stuck out to me that so few of the students mentioned Ethiopia or their roots frequently. Most of the kids I asked where they were from proudly responded Israel or Ramla and very sparingly did they mention their parents were from Ethiopia, that their journey and struggles had made it possible for them to live in Israel today. From my perspective it seems as if the students are still young (12-16) and haven't fully grasped the magnitude of their families' pasts. However, this week one of the older girls was helping a younger girl make a bracelet. I complimented the girls half-done bracelet and she proudly looked up at me and said, "Ethiopian colors." I noticed then that the older girl helping her not only had a matching Ethiopian bracelet but also an Israeli one.  I was relieved to see the two girls embracing their heritage and this moment let ...

By Michelle Weisz ENP Volunteer Jersusalem   For the past month, I have had the opportunity to be a part of this amazing organization. Through my Israel Experience internship program, I have been placed in Jerusalem for the summer to experience this beautiful country and experience the people and culture of Israel. A huge part of this experience has been impacted by The Ethiopian National Project and the Ethiopian-Israeli community. I have seen many aspects of this organization, which has already taught me so much. Before coming to Israel, I knew almost nothing of what the Ethiopian community was like, how they got here, and what obstacles they face. Thanks to ENP, I now know so much more and have met extraordinary people that have made an impact on so many people’s lives. So far, I have heard the moving stories of Micha Feldman, Rachamim Malako, and Rabbi Yafel Alemu. Each of their stories have shown me different points of views of the journey that the Ethiopians went throug...

By Hannah Miller ENP Volunteer Jersusalem When I learned that I would be interning at ENP this summer, I didn’t know what to expect. I figured that I would be bringing people coffee and doing unimportant tasks since most people do not want a sixteen year old in their office, and that is how I pictured interning from watching movies and TV shows. When I arrived at the office for my first day, I was happily surprised by all of the opportunities I learned I would be given here to put my skills to use to help the organization. I immediately started to work on filtering through videos and brainstorming ideas. The next day I visited a center in Jerusalem and hung out with five Ethiopian-Israeli boys who were learning English and celebrating their last day of camp. The boys loved to dance, talk, and take selfies and I was so happy to spend time with them. I learned personal stories about when their families immigrated here and about their siblings and friends. ...

By Ada Malamud ENP Volunteer Tel Aviv My experiences volunteering for Ethiopian National Project have been fulfilling and I have learned so much about Ethiopian culture and immigration to Israel. It has been difficult sometimes working with the children at the youth outreach centers. They are older, between 13-17, and many of them know very little English. I am with them during their summer time so the drive to learn English is even less. It has been a challenge motivating them to learn and practice. When I do meet a child that is eager to practice and learn their English I enjoy talking to them informally, learning about their background and interests in hopes of motivating them a a little to continue their goals. I met one girl in particular who was very driven and inspirational.             Her name was Chan and told me she was the best English speaker in her class and I didn't doubt her for a ...

By Hila Ghersin ENP Volunteer Haifa   On Sunday   I had the amazing opportunity to join the ENP Youth Outreach Center in the city of Nesher in welcoming a Taglit-Birthright group from Broward County, Florida (coincidentally, where I'm from!).  As soon as I got to the center, I caught a glimpse of five young girls rehearsing a Beyoncé routine they choreographed. Their talent and energy amazed me and I really wanted to learn the routine so I immediately started talking to them. They were so nice, polite, funny, and curious that we were basically best friends within a half hour.  It was then time to meet the birthright group. Initially, the kids from the center were shy and embarrassed because they did not exactly know how they would communicate with the birthright group. Most of the American trip-goers did not know Hebrew and the kids were hesitant about speaking English. However, as we began making jug gling balls out of balloons and rice and solved a puzzle of...

By Jessica Cohen ENP Volunteer Israel Experience Tel Aviv Aliyah is defined as the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the land of Israel, or progressing towards Jerusalem. Prior to my time in Israel and my interactions with many Ethiopian Jews, the aliyah stories I had heard generally involved North American Jews moving to Israel and finding jobs, creating families, and starting their life anew in the Holy Land. Although I spend the majority of my time working with students who are first generation Ethiopian-Israelis, their parents have made aliyah and their stories differ drastically from the ones I am accustomed to. Additionally, every  Thursday,  myself and the other ENP interns from cities all across Israel meet in Jerusalem for brainstorming meetings, fundraising planning, and my favorite aspect – to hear someone who has made aliyah from Ethiopia to Israel share their story. Every story we’ve been told has had a few things in common: the individual could...

By Mary Dubin ENP Volunteer Onward Israel- Boston Jerusalem Prior to my arrival at the Ethiopian National Project, I knew very little about the Ethiopian-Israeli community. I knew bits and pieces of their history through personal research and that a lot of the reggae music I like stems from Ethiopia. What I also knew for sure was that I wanted to help somehow, some way through my growing accounting background.  I’ve been searching to see what I exactly want to do when I get my accounting degree; so I figured, why not try the non-profit sector? I strongly feel that money should be used to help people help themselves.  ENP does just that; evolving, emerging and empowering Ethiopian- Israelis into the Israeli community.  During my short time at ENP so far, from day one, I have witnessed the mission of this organization is to help people become educated and strong so they can help themselves and then help others in their future, and so on. Day one, a Thursday...

By Hila Ghersin ENP Volunteer Haifa   At ENP, I mainly volunteer with teenagers in Tirat Carmel who are at the stage in life marked by their "I'm way too cool for everything" attitude, so I was a bit intimidated meeting them for the first time. All the hesitations that come with entering an established social circle swirled in my mind:  Will we have anything to talk about? Will they think I'm cool?  Will I get their sense of humor? Etc. Although they didn't seem super interested in knowing who I was at first, as soon as they heard I'm from America their ears perked up and their interest showed. A million questions followed:   Wait so what are you doing here?  Do you have a pool?  And most popularly: Have you met Rhianna?  So we talked, laughed, common interests surfaced, and I felt like I was sort of "in." Fast forward two weeks to this past . We were all very excited to go on the first summer trip which include a hike in Nachal ...