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Tuesday, October 10, 2006
What an opportunity!!! Only a handful of people on earth can say that they spent part of their evening last night with a head of state, more specifically the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert. I had known for about 2 weeks that this night would come and that I had been asked to attend the Prime Minister's Sukkah at his house in Jerusalem on behalf MASA and Oranim to showcase the volunteer program I am currently doing, Israel Service Corps. It was such an honor that I never would have expected. After seeing Prime Minister Olmert take over the position in January after former PM Sharon's stroke, I never in a million years would have guessed that later that same year I would be invited to his house and have such a great opportunity to speak with him. I had been asked to prepare a 3-5 minute speech telling about myself and about ISC. I was very eager to give the speech in front of such a crowd. For the Sukkah, 50 people had been invited to join the PM, new Immigrants from Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Finland, England, Ethiopia, and the US and volunteers from, England, the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, the US, and South Africa.
So the time had come when the taxi coming from Ramla with my roommate Liza, who was to join me at the Prime Minister's house, had come to pick me up in Jerusalem where I had been staying for Sukkot. It was 3:45 and we had to be at the PM's house at 4:15 to meet first with a representative from MASA, Revital Cohen, who was joining us for the event. We got there a few minutes early which was fine because there was so much security between the spot where the taxi dropped us off and the few hundred feet where we waited to enter the PM's house that it was nice not to be rushed. After passing through the security entrance we were led into the PM's back yard where there were snacks and refreshments and all of the guests were waiting to be ushered into a large Sukkah that was built abutting his house. I was just hoping one of my friends would call so I could tell them I had no time to speak because I was hanging out the PM's house.
After entering the Sukkah we spent a few minutes moving around being told where to sit, and eventually I ended up sitting in the front row about 6 feet directly across from where the evening's hosts would sitting. Liza and Revital unfortunately were sitting off to the side near the entrance to the PM's house. I sat there patiently for a few minutes speaking with the 2 volunteers on either side of me, when Liza had got my attention and wanted to say something to me so I got up and walked over to her. After speaking with her for a moment I heard some commotion and rushed to get back to my seat only to realize the PM had just entered the Sukkah and I was walking right along side him on my way back to my seat. After a loud applause he sat down with his guests, Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielski, Ministry of Absorption Director General Erez Halfon, and one of the PM's spokesman. After thanking the crowd for coming and saying a few words (in Hebrew so I only nodded like I understood everything but really I understood almost nothing) PM Olmert asked the crowd to introduce themselves, stating there name, where they were from, how long they had been here if they were new immigrants, or which program they were representing if they were volunteers. After the introductions and a few more words from our hosts they began calling up people who were to speak about there program or about there experience making Aliyah. Unfortunately (for me) after a few inspirational speeches the PM's rep signaled that they were out of time and that some people would not get a chance to speak. I was disappointed that I didn't get a chance to thank them for inviting me and all of the work they have done for Israel and the Jewish people, but I was still happy that I got to attend. Now I just hoped that we could get a picture with the PM.
Just as I thought it was over, PM Olmert stood up and said he would pose for a few pictures. I was very excited but how can I get in a good picture with him when everyone in the room is going to rush to his side. Well, it was much easier than I had thought. He stood up from his seat in front of all of us and he sat down in the seat directly to my left. After realizing that he was talking the girl who was sitting there's seat, he told her to sit down and that we could all fit. So he budged over with half a cheek on her seat and the other half on mine. WOW! Talk about up close and personal with the PM, he was sitting right next to me and it was like sitting 4 people squished in the back seat of a car. After politely asking him to look at Liza's camera which she was snapping a photo of us, we sat there for about 3-4 minutes and everyone tried to get in the picture with us and at least 5 professional photographers where also taking as many pictures as time would allow. After his security staff indicated that it was time for the PM to leave he still walked out slowly allowing for as many pictures as possible to be taken. As he left the Sukkah he yelled to everyone "Todah Raba" and "Chag Sameach" (thank you very much and Happy Holiday) It seemed as though he as really enjoying himself the whole time, it must have been a very nice break from his usual daily routine. I have to thank him for allowing me to attend, MASA for picking ISC to represent them, and Momo for choosing me to go.
So what did you do last night?
Aaron Greenblott
agreenblott@gmail.com
www.iscramla.com
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Ethiopian Soccer
When coming to Israel with Israel Service Corps, I would have never expected
this. All the volunteer work I did prior to the program didn't involve working with
people. I felt more comfortable completing tasks and doing physical work such
as Habitat for Humanity and the like. But when I came to spend 5 months of my
life volunteering in Ramla, Israel, I quickly realized that seeing the smiling faces
of those I am help is much more rewarding.
Before any of the other volunteers in the group had even decided where, when,
and how to volunteer their time, me and a fellow ISC pioneer named Jay found
ourselves knee deep in our first venture. It seemed that our leisurely enjoyment
for playing soccer with local kids down the street from our communal house had
sparked some interest. Soon Jay and I had been invited to a heavily Ethiopian
neighborhood in Ramla, where kids spend their free time simply looking for
things to keep them busy and out of trouble. So Chava, our go-to-woman in
Ramla (and the most beautiful grandmother in Israel might I add) whose office is
right in this area, sat down with the two of us to discuss a vision.
After sitting for some time shooting ideas back and forth, we decided what to do.
Jay and I were going to start a soccer club for boys aged 8-13. But not just any
soccer club, oh no! We wanted to use this common game as a gateway to
forming a strong bond between these boys and their community. Therefore, it
was our dream for this group to become leaders amongst their peers, for them to
understand that they control their lives, and can make a positive impact on the
lives of others. We hoped that these ideas would help accomplish our ultimate
goal of shaping these young Ethiopian boys into great role-models in their
community and establishing a strong sense unity amongst them.
Before we could do any of this though, we needed to recruit our squad. Our
ultimate mission was to make them feel like this was more than just a time to play
soccer, but as a place where we come together twice a week to hang out and
bond as one unit. At first, things were a little rough. It was hard to find boys
excited to come and then they were confused as to why we were there. So we
told tell them our story. Once they understood that we were living in Ramla for 5
months and were going to be coming every week to see them, they liked the
sound of that. It is very important to establish trust and excitement when forming
any group, so we knew we had to show up every time ready to go! After a short
time, things were going really well.
With these boys speaking almost no
English at all, and Ulpan very slowly
blessing us with much needed Hebrew,
communicating with these boys was
difficult. Even with English being taught to
them in school, they don't seem to care
about learning it; it's hard for them to see
the weight it has in
providing them with
much greater
opportunity in Israel.
You see, life for the
lower class in Ramla is not easy. Often times it is hard for
the youth to see life outside of what they see around them
and in their families. So since the language barrier was
holding us back from taking this club to a new level, we got
the help of an Israeli Scout (Israeli volunteers living in cities
all over the country for a year before the army) named
Amitai. This shows you that things can be done in the
middle of a project to improve it and course correct. Once
Amitai started to come, we were able to run practice drills
before playing, teach them English words related to soccer,
and play fun games. We even hung out in some of their families' apartments and
watched soccer DVDs, movies, and had pizza parties! It was great!
The group totaled about 15-20 boys, with around 10-12 showing up every week
to hang out and play. Sometimes after playing soccer we would stay after just to
hang out with the boys and mess around. It was as if we were their role models,
the people in their lives they could count on to be there to play with. We soon
saw them as more than just a project, but as our friends, and truly enjoyed
seeing them every day and could tell how much they enjoyed seeing us.
We start each normal day
with a group building
activity, usually a game,
even learning a new
English phrase related to
soccer. Then after
running a few drills, we
play, dividing them up at
random. After a few fun
games, we end the day
by once again bringing
the group together to either have a short activity or
discussion. Then we say goodbye with a group huddle
and high fives.
I often noticed boys walking around in nice uniforms heading off to practice and
wondered why our boys were not part of this. After a little investigative work I
found out why. The boys that played soccer with organized teams pay to play, a
little over $1,000 including uniforms, practices, and games, and for Israel that is a
LOT of money. After this I was even more committed to this group, knowing that
even though these kids' parents couldn't afford to pay for them to play organized
soccer, they could still be kids and play with us.
But the best part of it all is what we did to cap off the whole thing. Let me start off
by saying that where we play soccer is not the ideal playing field. It is pretty
much a cement rectangle with two metal goals, no nets, not even complete goal
frames actually. It is
right in the middle of a
tight group of apartment
buildings and
surrounded by graffiti
littered walls. Not all
parts of Ramla are like
this, just a few (FYI). For
the longest time, we
wanted to do something
about this. And eventually our prayers were answered. After several
discussions and brainstorming sessions, we had finally arranged for an artist to
come to help us paint a mural on the main wall next to the "court". The result
was nothing short of a miracle.
The boys showed up exited to paint the wall with the artist and many neighbors
came down to see what was going on. Some came right up to the wall to see the
work, while others stood behind the fence and looked on with awe. The result of
about 15 hours of work was stunning. The kids completed the main colors
covering the large areas of the wall, and the artist crafted the finishing touches to
make it look professional. Since the completion of the mural, not a single person
has dared to deface it in any way. Not a single letter of graffiti, not a single
anything. All the residents nearby claim it as "theirs" and are simply too proud of
its beauty. It brings a new sense of light and hope to the area. It is now a place
where people can look and be proud of where they live. And every time our boys
walk by, even showing their own kids several years later, they can smile and say:
"I helped make that gorgeous wall. It was one of the happiest times of my life."
And it's an amazing feeling that I was there to create those smiles.
Story Written By: Ben Shimon, 23, from Milwaukee, WI, ISC Alumni #1
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The American Volunteers:
Joshua Cole, Eliza Croen, Todd Edelman, Ben Shimon
Three and a half months
ago, ten Gimnasia Atidim
students were selected to
create a high school
newspaper. Their task was a
daunting one. If their
schedule didn't change, a
tiyul would interfere. The
hardest part: everything
was done in English-the
students had to not only
listen and read but also
speak and write in a foreign
language.
Some left, mostly due to
scheduling conflicts, but
others persisted and
succeeded. With the help of
four American volunteers,
the students created the
pages you are holding in
your hand. The American
volunteers shared their
experience, tips and
knowledge, but the students
wrote all of the articles on
the following pages (except
this introduction).
The students learned about
different types of articles
in newspapers, including
profiles, polls, opinion
pieces, photography and
reviews. For each type, the
students thought of topics,
researched, wrote and
edited. During the writing
process, the American
volunteers were there
mos t ly for suppor t,
e n c o u r a g e m e n t a n d
acknowledgment of a job
well done.
Writing, publishing and
distributing a newspaper is
always a risk, and it's even
more scary writing for the
first time. Who will read it?
What will they think? Your
peers took that risk,
without hesitation. Printing
this English newspaper was
a big accomplishment.
This was the first in what
may be a series of student
newspapers at Atidim. If
you want to get involved,
talk with your English
teacher and with Orna, and
your name may be at the top
of an article.
One day the journalism
students may be big-name
journalists for English
newspapers like the New
York Times or the
Jerusalem Post-and here in
Ramla, at Gimnasia Atidim,
they got their start.
When the time comes, we, the
students, need to choose
between the Army or Sherut
Leumi. We are here to give you
all of the good and bad things in
each.
Let's start with the good things in the Army:
- you look very sexy in a uniform with a gun.
- you can meet many people that stay your friends all your life and learn about their cultures.
- you can grow up and get stronger physically and mentally.
And now we move on to the bad things:
- boys need to do army to grow up and to develop physically and for a girls its wasting time when you can to learn or work and to save up money.
- you can get injured from wars and from training.
- you will not always get the basic training and the job that you want.
Now we give you the good things in Sherut Leumi:
- you can continue in the job that you worked there after you finish.
- you earn more money then in the army.
- you back home every day and you don't work as hard as in the army.
The bad things in Sherut Leumi:
- you lose experience that you can express in army.
- you get less command and with that you learn less discipline and respect.
- when you want to get a job they like that you served in the army.
We hope that we help you and you are going to choose the right thing for you!
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