Stories and Pathways

Since I came to Israel, I understand how much in this country is not planned beforehand. Things get arranged in a couple of seconds and plans might be subject to change every now and then. That is the spirit the Youth Center in Petah Tikvah carries on with. To an Italian who lives in Britain and is used to a pattern where everything is planned, it seems odd, but once I got used to the logic, everything is fine. Therefore, when two days ago I arrived at 4 pm in Petah Tikvah to do my usual stuff, I found everyone was cleaning up. Asher, the Youth Center director, told me to involve some kids and clean as much as possible. To convince the kids was probably the hardest thing, until I showed them how little it would take to if we worked as a team. That proved effective, and in less than two hours, i.e. by 6pm, everything was spotless. Kids were not lazy at all. They were really happy to do stuff outside the smartphone or computer bubble. Between 6pm and 7pm, I played cards, table tennis...

After a month of volunteering with the Ethiopian National Project (also known as ENP), many things could be said regarding the many encounters with the office work in Jerusalem and youth center in Beit Shemesh. Regarding the office work we had a tapestry mission consisting of gaining help from various organisation and plan an exposition of Jewish Ethiopian history and culture, permitting people around Israel and the United to connect and to bond with this community which is rich in its past. The center was separated between two groups, one elementary and one in the high school, Ethiopian kids of age ranging between 5 to 16. I personally had some private English tutoring with the younger group, being able to communicate in Hebrew was a huge asset and allowed me to teach basic knowledge. Most of the time with these groups were spent doing various activities such as singing, foosball, pool and discussions in addition of physical activities such as soccer and ping pong. One of the most i...

Before arriving here, I heard many stories about the Ethiopian-Israeli Community. First and foremost, its struggle to arrive to the promised land is the one that struck me the most. The need for shelter and freedom of this community reminded me of the stories I heard from world war two survivors in Europe. My decision to volunteer with the organisation is therefore combined with an obligation I feel towards all the people that need help in society. My second visit to Petah Tiqwah Youth Center to that extent was far from exciting. The Youth Center is located in one of the poorest areas of the city. Hardly anyone spoke English, or "Anglit". A young female soldier showed me around and introduced me to a group of youngsters playing soccer. I felt at first no interaction and was beginning to feel annoyed. However, despite this first moment of hardship, I did not feel let down. The day after I came back again and stood with the kids for longer. That day, I felt I achieved much m...