Israel: A country defined by conflict

First off, let me apologize for my utter laziness. I originally intended to blog a few days a week but things have been very hectic here. Enough of my excuses though...

Last week, for Obama's inauguration the whole group went to an all-American bar called Mike's Place, located next to the U.S. Embassy. Most of the people in my group are American (As a complete aside, I hate that word, they aren't American, they are United Statesions...how can the US take the name of all the Americas--by that definition, I am also American!). It was an amazing site to see Obama take office--it nearly put me to tears. I hope that his actions are as clear as his rhetoric suggests. The next 100 days are critical. Personally, I can't wait until Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart interviews Bush--what a sight that would be!

Last weekend I went on an amazing trip to Eilat (southern tip of Israel next to Egypt). Eilat is known for its beautiful weather and awesome scuba diving, however, we came in the middle of the 'winter', so it was cold and windy. We went on several hikes which were just amazing. The second hike was about 6 hours of some pretty difficult trekking. There were several challenging obstacles, including steep inclines which I didn't expect. Suffice to say, everyone survived. It's a great way to get to know the country and great exercise! The landscape is just magnificent. I hope to do more hiking, especially in the Golan.

The next morning, a few of us woke up at 4:30 in the morning to watch the sunrise. The hike was easier, but still a steep incline. After seeing the sunrise (and drinking some coffee), I had no regrets about getting up so early.

The drive back was uneventful, despite the fact that I was extremely exhausted but wasn't allowed to sleep--I was given the prestigious job of keeping the driver company while we drove back (5 hours) to Tel Aviv. The most frequent accidents in this country occur when drivers fall asleep at the wheel. As an aside, drivers in Israel are fucking crazy. They have very little respect for the rules of the road or the concept of pedestrians. To drive in Israel, you have to be extremely aggressive.

This past week was dedicated to two things: (1) learning Hebrew in Ulpan study (2) seeing possible placements for volunteering--which begins in mid February.

Hebrew has been quite difficult and at times extremely frustrating. I am coming in with little to no understanding of the language. Despite having a Bar Mitzvah, I never learnt how to actually understand what I was saying; therefore, it really did nothing but confuse me when I try to learn how to speak the language. For those of you who had a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, I'm sure you can identify with this struggle. I also learn differently than most people. I do not absorb information as fast as some, and I struggle particularly with rote memorization. I need to find strategies that work, like flash cards and time outside of class to study by myself. I have the entire weekend to dedicate to this, and I hope to have much accomplished. I will report back!

Possible placements have been a delight to visit. By Mid-February I have to choose 3 of them. Tikkun Olam offers a wide-range of placements from working in an Arab-Jewish community centre in Jaffa (Arab suburb of Tel Aviv) to working with horses in a therapeutic riding centre for children with CP and Autism. The decision won't be easy, as many of them could be very rewarding. However, I also think I have to make a decision based on need. The balance has to be found between my own personal beliefs, rationale for coming to this country, and the need of the organization.

So far I have a couple organizations I am seriously thinking about: College for all and the Arab-Jewish Community Centre.

College for all works in Jaffa with young, enthusiastic, bright students (Arab Muslim and Arab Christian). The aim of the programme is to increase the number of Arab students who reach the level of post-secondary education (whether it be college or university). Levels of poverty in Jaffa are extremely high, with nearly 50 percent of all residents living in abject poverty. College for all is designed as an after-school programme which buses in students from all 3 local schools in the Jaffa area. The students learn Math, Hebrew, English, Chemistry and Physics. The aim of the programme is to have fun with students (who wants to sit in yet another class from 4-8pm?). They come 2 times a week, play games and are fed meals. The programme begins in Grade 3 and runs all the way to Grade 12. The idea is to show these kids that school is important and when they put their minds to it, anything is possible. The programme in only 5 years old, but so far they have seen remarkable success rates and hope to expand in the next few years.
This idea isn't new; it has been in existence for Jews in Israel for many years and showed great success rates. I would be working with the teachers with English and basic math. Although I have very little teaching experience, having a mentor who speaks English fluently will surely be an asset to the programme.

The Arab-Jewish community centre is also located in Jaffa. They are a special organization with only two in existence in Israel. The aim of the centre is to promote coexistence with joint programmes for both Arab and Jews. They also have something called the "American Corner" which is financially supported by the U.S Embassy. The aim of this corner is to promote American (err United States-ion) culture. Book clubs read English books by U.S writes, there’s a chess club that speaks English, sports club that plays sports popular in the U.S. They are open to ideas, and I love the vibe. They also have a Judo club (only for kids though)!

There are important and interesting organizations, including a kindergarten for unrecognized children of foreign workers but perhaps I will wait for future updates to speak about them. Suffice to say, that the opportunities look amazing and I'm sure they will be very rewarding.

Finally, I would like to add one last point, which is that I am under no illusion that what I am doing here won't revolutionize the social structures and economic inequality within Israel. However, I think that small changes are what will be most rewarding. Seeing a child smile because I am there supporting them with their work, or seeing people working together, no matter their faith or economic background--this is ultimately why this kind of work is worth it. The economic and social situation in Israel is much grimmer than people outside of this country understand. When you think Israel you immediately think conflict. And while you may be right, internally, this country is falling apart. Less than 50 percent of students in Israel complete high school. Of that population, only 15 percent of those graduates even attend any sort of post-secondary institution. Those are ‘third world’ (another horrible word) conditions. I hope this blog will serve as a good avenue for you, my readers, to understand that this country has much more to say than just conflict. I welcome your opinions and insight.

Shalom. Salam Alechem.

P.S. Here’s the photo album from Eilat! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047470&l=b625d&id=164200005