...To the end of my first month

So much time has passed so quickly. I am more settled into the school now and have a semi-routine. We learn some but for me a big part of my day is spent just having fun with the kids afterward and enjoying our time. I have also been busy helping with  intern tasks in the NGO. ( A New Dawn )

Apart from all my work, Hebrew and Arabic class have been coming along but I am very much glad for these. A surprising number of Israelis have very little English skills at the market and stores, and the kids enjoy to hear me try to talk in Arabic. They like that my Arabic is on the same level as their English, and when we do learn some new words they will also make me to say and write the Arabic.

 I also began to participate in an after school program at the high school located next to Al-Salam. We have only met twice so far, but I hope to be able to connect more with them over the next several months.

Because  I am in a program that is also sponsored in part by Masa, I get to go on trips around Israel pertaining to Jewish identity. For the month of June we went to a farming community in the southern desert along the Egyptian border. The vegetables were huge and delicious. It was very cool to see green fields surrounded by sand, where historically nothing has ever grown, also to see a Zionist vision within non-disputed Israeli territory.

 I was able to participate in a visit with local Bedouin youth, alongside A New Dawn, to the new Sodastream factory in Rahat, It has moved from its' controversial previous location in occupied territory of the west bank to Rahat, Israel.

 After a nice tour with the youth, a lunch and free Sodastream soda,-(Which I can now recommend the machine, very healthy and no longer controversial)- the company arranged for us a nice Tu Bishvat planting activity. It began with the youth and us decorating our pots and we were soon joined in by local workers.

 It was very en-lighting to see so many happy people, from a variety of backgrounds talking and laughing. It was a very nice example of Jews, Arabs, and others in peace-which I have been told was also the case at their previous factory. Along us were religious and secular Jews, Bedouin Arabs, Russians and African migrants and others all together. It was very much a breath of fresh air, especially after the events that recently plagued Rahat.





I also went to see Israeli political parties debate in English in Tel Aviv over issues. It was surprisingly interesting. I wish American candidates would provide be so blunt.

 This week some the adventures of exploring Rahat have begun. I went to the indoor market-> and with such great food options, I was still not able to resist the lull of AFC ^^^. I am looking forward to what February brings.