Neve Wrap Up - Final Musings
The last few days of Neve Michael were filled with emotions. Tuesday, the older Kevutzot went to Luna Park. The kids and volunteers had a blast going on the exciting rides and spending time together around the park. The smiles on all the kids faces that day will forever be sketched in my mind and seeing how much fun the volunteers and kids were having together really made my summer. The highlight for me was being at the top of the Ferris wheel with two volunteers and one of m
Last Day in Paradise
It's hard to believe that 4 weeks after walking through the gates of Achuzat Sara alone, I walk out a new person, humbled to have joined a larger family. For most people, Achuzat Sara is equated to the modern day gan edan, a place far removed from the simpleness of this world. While many of us walked through that gate on July 1st genuinely excited to take part of this modern day gan edan, I couldn't help but feel ambivalent towards it all. I became frustrated, why wasn't it c
Count Your Blessings
Danced a lot during Purim in July
Then I saw a kid just sitting on the side
Look In his face like he was bouta cry
So I took a seat next to him and asked him why
Didn't get an answer not even a face
So I took him outside and I sat and wait
Showed I was here for him and sat till 8
He wanted to leave so we went to his place
He crawled up into bed and that's when it hit me
All he had to his name was one dirty
Pair of shoes what a pity
I sat on his bed and thought to
Color my World
On the second to last day of the summer we gathered the entire Panimia on the field. Coordinators and volunteers threw red and blue balloons and squirted red and blue paint out of water guns. We came into the morning with lots of energy and low expectations. We knew that color war, a concept that came naturally to the Americans, would seem foreign to these kids. They were confused and it took lots of work and patience to get them to understand what exactly colorwar was. As I
Olympics 2017
To kick off our last week with the kids, we went to iJump, which is a massive trampoline complex. Although it was exhausting, both the kids and the Americans had a blast. When we got back to the home, we began the planning for the Pnimiya wide Olympic Games. We practiced for a flash mob, had tshirts made for all the kids to distinguish between the four different teams, and headed to the basketball court to break out the olympics with tons of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, our ent
All A-Bored
This summer at Achuzat Sara has been jam packed with a lot of trips, and with trips comes a lot of long bus rides. While these rides could consist of a lot of exhausted volunteers catching up on some sleep, most of the Americans choose to sit with the children and to utilize this downtime as time to better get to know the Israelis in a quieter, calmer setting. I'll admit that I originally started off the bus rides with an aisle seat open next to me and my earphones plugged in
We Are Family
We got up about 30 minutes earlier than we usual do yesterday morning. On a normal summer day that would be a bummer, but given that I was about to spend time with my new brothers I was actually happy to get up earlier. After we prayed, we went out to the buses to the place that we were staying and the first thing I saw was about 40 small tents. I was really not sure how the sleeping arrangement was going to be and who I would be with. One of the kids who is not even in my gr
A Taste of Goodbye
Today was the 2nd last day that the Pnimiyot Yom kids will be part of our daily routine at Afula. Because of this, we staged a 4th of July style carnival on the basketball court to give them one more great day at the home. The kids absolutely loved it. Everywhere we turned there was another kid smiling, another kid on the shoulders of a volunteer, or another water balloon being thrown. After lunch, we spent almost no time on land. First we went kayaking with the kids, and th
Coming Home
We just had our last Shabbat at Neve. It's crazy how fast time flies here. Shabbat was filled with even more ruach than usual because of the energy we all put in to maximize our last Shabbat of the summer. After beautiful Shabbat dinners in our respective kevutzot, a buzz of energy circulated the home as everyone came outside to the main grassy area to chill, laugh, and spend time together. The energy continued into the next day with "Ana Bekoach" chants and Shabbat zmirot in
Taking Advantage of Every Day
Although Sunday's at Achuzat Sarah are usually calmer days because the kids slowly return after spending Shabbat at home, this Sunday was jam packed with activities and fun. Since it is the last week, everyone is eager to have the best time possible and make the most of every final day. We want to make that one last good impression, and change that one last kids life for the better. The day started with yoga led by Achuzat's very own Kira Fox. It was the perfect way to start
