Stories and Pathways

                                                                                                                                               6/27/16 Havash, an Ethiopian restaurant in central Jerusalem, is easy to miss, as it is a small establishment nestled underground on a narrow side street. The few Ethiopian National Project interns who walked in with our field supervisor were the sole patrons for a 1 p.m. lunch on Monday, and the emptiness and remoteness of the place gave the impression that we had discovered some place secret and exciting. The first room we entered was replete with colorful, woven, hourglass-shaped baskets that served as the tables, each one surrounded by several cushioned seats. Everything about this room, from the decor to the tantalizing photos of Ethiopian food papering the walls, to the soft sounds of Ethiopian music floating from the speakers, to the smell of incense wafting through the heady air, gave the restaurant a strong sense of authenticity.  

My name is Justine Frankel, and I'm here at the ENP with JInternships. I come from Montreal, Canada and I'm 22 years old. I study child studies and education in University. When I first arrived at ENP I knew I wanted to teach English, but never did I think I'd be teaching it to someone older than I was! Her name is Efrat and she's been in Israel for 31 years. She came with her sister after her parents passed away in Ethiopia, and she studied in phys ed. and sciences to be a sports instructor. She loves her job and family very much. What a cultural difference! As I am a Canadian with only one sibling, in her 20 years of marriage, she has 7 kids! WOW! She was so sweet and kind to work with, and for the next couple weeks I'm going to share my experiences with you. Today we got the chance to meet for the first time. I was extremely nervous because I don't speak a word of Hebrew. Knowing Sherutzim and Sababa really doesn't count for much when you're tea