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July 2004, Volume 38 |
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Dear Friends,
Midsummer is a time for respite and renewal on Ibim. Most of the students on programs have gone their way, and the new immigrants have not yet arrived. Presently residing with us are college students, Ethiopian immigrants participating in Kedma, and soldiers from IDF's Education Corps. This relative lull in activity gives us the opportunity to review the past year and regroup, as well as to upgrade our facilities to ensure the comfort and safety of our new residents.
In less than a month, Soni will resume her post, after a three-month maternity leave. She feels great and keeps up on a day-to-day basis. We look forward to having her back. As Soni takes over the newsletter upon her return, I bid our San Diego partners farewell and hope to meet those who visit us at Ibim.
Thank you and best wishes for a healthy, safe summer.
Arik Saban, Cultural Director
Ibim-San Diego Student Village |
A Summer Gift
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Despite the unfortunate circumstances which brought them, the twenty-five soldiers who have been living in the Village for more than a month have been like a gift of summer to Ibim staff and residents. As we wrote in our last newsletter, after the fatal falling of a Kassam rocket in nearby Sderot, the army decided to send soldiers from the Education Corps to help as counselors in Sderot's summer camps. The soldiers work until 4:00 in the camps, and upon returning to Ibim, they, on their own initiative spend the evening helping with Hebrew lessons, homework and organizing group activities. | |
Give and Take
 
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Eating, talking, singing and dancing as a perfect way to learn about each other. |
Last week, a multicultural evening organized by the students and the soldiers, celebrating the many different cultural heritages to which they can lay claim. The soldiers cooked up typical Israeli dishes, and the Kedma students prepared authentic Ethiopian fare. The evening included a songfest, wherein the soldiers taught our students new Hebrew songs, dances and customs. The party concluded with a singing of Hatikva, followed by a short lesson on the customs of Tisha B'av. |
Desert Refreshment
After a long year of hard work, and for the most part stunning results, Ibim's students took a two-day trip to Eilat. The first stop on the way down was at a Bedouin encampment where the students climbed atop camels for a trek in the Valley of Sara near Masada. At the end of that journey, the students were welcomed into the Bedouin tents for a sumptuous lunch. The next stop was a lookout onto the Dead Sea where the students heard about the Dead Sea Works, their products and history.
The second day was spent in Eilat at the underwater observatory and Oceanarium. The students had the pleasure of watching the creatures of the beautiful coral reef from underwater, and learned about the fragility of the reef and the importance of preserving it. After some free time, the students headed home to continue their regimen of studies and work. |
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