A 'community involvement' evening was held for middle school kids, their parents and trustees from the Youth Futures program, part of Partnership 2000.  Participants engaged in a group activity based on the theme 'Pay it Forward'.  Partnership 2000, under the auspices of the Jewish Agency and the Cleveland community, has been operating in Beit Shean in the areas of education and community for 13 years.

'Pay it Forward' stresses the important values of taking action for the benefit of others and giving.  Each of us, great or small and according to his or her abilities, is capable of brightening up someone else's day.  The evening's activity adopted the 'Pay it Forward' method as presented in the film of that name (based on a book written by Catherine Ryan Hyde).  The way it works is that when a person does a favor for three other people, they each return three favors to three strangers, thus the process continues to develop and expand.  This method calls for a large measure of trust in others.

As they took part in the activity, participants viewed the film and later had an in-depth discussion in which parents and children talked about the benefit of good deeds from both a personal and societal aspect.  They also inquired into some dilemmas such as: Is each person deserving of a good deed, or should that be a matter of consideration?  Should we do good deeds in all cases, even when it could endanger our lives?  Should we do a good deed for a person, even if it's possible he or she won't 'pay it forward'? 

Later on, Youth Futures children distributed flyers for marketing the idea while each of them received a Pay it Forward card for implementing the idea.  The card will be passed on to the recipient of a good deed, who in turn will pass the card along after performing a good deed.  During the year, when children and trustees will meet individually or in groups, they'll think up ideas and methods for putting the method into practice.  Each of the children will have the opportunity to express themselves in their own way in how they choose to brighten up someone else's day.

In order to compile and display the good deeds, Youth Futures has opened up an online Pay it Forward forum (on the Zazu website) with the assistance of Golan Ezra, a graduate of the Partnership 2000 Community Builders program.  The forum will serve as a platform for exhibiting the good deeds of Youth Futures children and trustees, as well as the community at large.

Have you done a good deed for somebody?
Has someone done a good deed for you?
If so, please share this with us.  Write about it on the Pay it Forward forum at www.zazu.co.il