By Carrie Shaw
Background
They say it is a "small Jewish world," but I say rather that it is a luckily warm and close Federation world. The story of how I came to live, work, and experience fully Israeli life through the Partnership 2000 (P2K) Volunteer Experience begins and ends happily with the positive effects of The Jewish Federation outreach.It all began last June when I attended the Israel Fest 2005 at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center. There, I met other young professionals who had previously visited Beit Shemesh and who shared their enthusiasm about our sister city. Once I contacted the Federation office in Rockville, and met with Reeva Ninio, Shlicha extraordinaire for Federation in its Israel and Overseas Department, as well as for the National P2K program; I was on my way to a wonderful experience. Reeva guided me through the volunteer experience from pre-arrangements to implementation. She worked directly with our Beit Shemesh P2K coordinator, Dalit Navon. They arranged for my accommodations, my volunteer work, and Federation activities during my stay in addition to providing a warm and friendly face during my stay in Israel.
Accommodations:
The volunteer apartment is actually one level with a separate entrance of a lovely home in a quiet neighborhood of Beit Shemesh overlooking the hills of Yehuda Plains. The town center including a supermarket, bank, and taxi stand with service to Jerusalem are all within walking distance. Above lives the landlord, Nissim and his wife, Aviva with their children. They are a traditional
Volunteer apartment in Beit Shemesh
couple who are sure to make you feel welcome. Dalit is even sure to fill the fridge before your arrival with groceries including classic Israeli products such as humus, tehini, and berekas making sure you are well-fed. As the heat increased, the central air-conditioning was also much appreciated.
Volunteer Work:
Because I work as a professor at Montgomery College of Maryland, I was partnered with a local college, Achva Academic College (www.achva.ac.il) near Beit Shemesh. There I met with fellow teachers who provide pedagogical training to future English teachers, and also teach English as a Foreign Language. During my visit I lectured about pedagogical techniques, observed their classes, and shared technology through my Web site (www.montgomerycollege.edu/~cshaw/.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of my visit was the outstanding scholarship, and highly educated staff that I encountered at Achva. Most of the teachers have their Phd's, and have published extensive research. In addition, the student population was extremely diverse including Russian immigrants, Ethiopian-Israelis, Bedouin, and Arab-Israeli students. My Israeli academic counterparts were very appreciative of my visit, especially because they have not had as many visitors nor been able to attend international conferences as much as they could because of the international academic boycott against Israel which is still very active especially in Europe.
Federation Activities:
In addition to volunteering at the college, I was fortunate enough to meet with my P2K counterparts in Beit Shemesh, and Jerusalem. I met other young professionals who are active in P2K Israel by attending the annual strategic planning session which included Federation members from Washington, DC, South Africa, and Israel.
The enthusiasm was intoxicating. As members of the Beit Shemesh community, the young professionals I met want to see their growing community thrive. They volunteer their time and money in a country where the economic situation is not always easy creating programs that directly benefit the local population. Visit the www.ShalomDC.org for a full list of Partnership 2000 programs.
The young professionals of Beit Shemesh are reaching out with open arms to make the connection with their American counterparts. If indeed, as Dr. Misha Galperin says, "Being Jewish demands a profound connection to others who are Jewish, then shouldn't we respond in kind to this extended hand? Volunteering through P2K has made me feel directly connected to my fellow Jews in Israel, South Africa, and Washington, DC. I especially enjoyed meeting and getting to know the wonderful Beit Shemesh community. I was overwhelmed with heartfelt invitations for home hospitality, and felt like a "bat byat," (daughter of the home) within the community.
Perhaps the highlight of my Federation activities during my volunteer experience was when I attended the P2K 10 year anniversary celebration at the Mount Scopus Hebrew University amphitheater overlooking the city of Jerusalem. The program included music from the winners of the Israeli version of American Idol (Kochav Hanolad), dance productions, fireworks, and addresses from important Israeli leaders including Industrialist, Eitan Wertheimer (whose company Isacar Metalworking Corp was recently acquired by Warren Buffet).
Wertheimer spoke about the strong need for economic diversification in Israel. This is perhaps the challenge that touched me most deeply during my stay. Although a few have benefited greatly from the hi-tech industry's success, making a living is still a struggle for many in Israel where prices are extremely high, and salaries don't always match income needs. Therefore, it is even more important than ever that we offer our support to Israelis through people to people connections that can help educate young people, and build the economy which is exactly what P2K does!