Southern Comfort

Ulpan Aleph treats the Ibim villagers to an Argentinian assado.

The Southern Hemisphere is enjoying a popular revival as students arrived for the beginning of Ulpan Aleph and the Net-Ibim program (right). Immigrants from Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela are adding their peppered flavor to the Ibim mix.

A mid-January evening at Ibim was the venue for a luscious evening of Latin American assado and salsa. The students themselves prepared the meats and the barbeque, vying with each other to demonstrate their culinary talents. After a satisfying meal, the background music was turned up and the salsa beat drew even the most bashful with its pulsating call to dance.

Discovering roots at Israel's Diaspora Museum.

As a part of the Latin American group's initiation, a day was spent at the Diaspora Museum. The family trees of the Latin Jews are variegated; Ashkenazi and Sephardic, recent and hundreds of years in Latin America. The Diaspora Museum, which traces Jewish migrations over the past two thousand years, was a treat for them to see how and where the paths crossed and it deepened their connection with the Jewish world.

Planting a Tree

Soaking wet and covered with mud, the students returned to Ibim from their annual Tu Bishvat planting. Not deterred by the weather, the bus set out for Omer, north of Beer Sheva. In a small, new forest, each student dug a hole and planted a sapling to mark the New Year for Trees, a commemoration mentioned as far back as the early Talmud. Today we have learned that ecological management of semi-arid lands can halt increasing desertification and trees in the desert, having an efficient water-preserving strategy which keeps moisture in the ground. The very trees the students planted will be one more step towards reviving the savannah of the northern Negev. After drying off and cleaning up, the students re-assembled for a ceremony, blessing the fruits of the trees and tasting seasonal and dried fruits.

A Formal Engagement

After only three months in Israel, with a mixture of emotion and gravity, Selah students became Israeli citizens. The memorable evening began with greetings, followed by performances prepared by the students, the granting of citizenships and finally, a grand party.

For more information about Ibim-San Diego Student Village:
Contact Soni Singer, Director,  SoniS@jafi.org