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Arad On The Border of the Negev and Judean Mountains

2/24/2018

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ARAD

Arad was founded in November, 1962, the first planned city in Israel. It is located on the border of the Negev and Judean Mountains, 16 miles from the Dead Sea, 28 miles from Beersheva. It is ideally located for desert tourism as it has fresh air, stunning views, hiking, jeeping, bike tours, camping, rappelling and eco-tourism. Near Masada, Ein Gedi, the Ramon Crater, Ein Bokek, Tel Arad, the Israel Trail and Kfar Nokdim, lodging here is far less expensive than the Dead Sea and far more peaceful. There is an artist quarter, Midbar Winery, the Glass Museum, a new car racing track and great restaurants such as Muza (best burger in Israel),  Kaparuchka and Anna Ma.
PictureTwo of my English students: Budding actresses.
Lucky me to have made wonderful friends here with whom I visit as often as I can! I consider Arad my second home in the world. The people, the scenery, the ease of life all appeal to me. When one makes a friend here it is a friend for life. I like to spend my time not just visiting friends but volunteering to teach English. I usually take a small group of the most advanced kids out of the classrooms and converse with them in English. If you would like to visit Arad, as I just did in January,  and teach English there even for a few days, I suggest contacting michal@jfedgmw.org.il. She and her team are very responsive and helpful.

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Click on the picture above to read the entire article.
PictureChen Pagliari who will teach his unique grilling techniques in Greater MetroWest community in NJ in 2018.
Chen Pagliari, my adopted Aradnik brother,  is the best grill master, bar tender and host I have ever known. He and his beautiful wife Yael will host you and your friends or family at his home.

Contact him at henpal2@walla.com for availability and pricing. 972-53-720-4183.


PictureMichal Perez, owner of Desert Bird Guesthouse.
There are many options for overnight stays in Arad. The Desert Bird Guesthouse is one of my favorites. Michal, my dear friend, gracious owner and excellent cook, is also a tour guide and will take care of your touring needs. www.desertbird.co.il. Desertbird2015@gmail.com. 972-52-5958833. She hosts all kinds of events here.

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Presentation on women’s Orthodox lifestyle at Desert Bird Guesthouse.

OFAKIM


Ofakim was established in 1955 with just 600 people from Morocco and Tunisia. Today there are about 30,000 residents of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Beersheva is about 20 km from here. Ofakim is about one hour drive from Arad and has rail transportation from Tel Aviv. The town is booming due to the rail transportation and affordable homes for purchase, unlike real estate in
 the center of the country.

The people of Ofakim are loyal, proud and devoted to the growth of their town. I had the great pleasure of staying with the hospitable Mayor and Mrs. Danino when I visited in January. I spent all my time teaching English to children and adults….and making new friends, going to the theater and learning about the community. I also spent time in Bayit Cham, which means Warm House. This is a national program for children at risk. I taught English and enjoyed wonderful lunches with the girls which was prepared by the “House Mother”.
Desert Eagles is a 24 member robotics team of Amirim High School students in Ofakim. Over half the team is female and they compete in 4 leagues throughout the year. There are 75 teams in Israel. Do we have this in our US schools? I was so glad to meet these passionate kids who use power tools, programming and sketch in 3D. They have an unspoken law of helping each other. They won a Tel Aviv national competition with a robot named Delta that took 6.5 weeks to build.
Teaching English in Ofakim is yet another place where volunteering is highly desired and  appreciated. Contact Michal Zur for this too. Her info is in the Arad part of this blog.
 
Next blog: Visiting Singapore and Phuket

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The true spirit of the Ethiopians is one of gentleness, kindness and peace.

2/24/2018

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Hearing the stories of the 5 Ethiopian Israelis who traveled with us made me rethink some of my priorities and what I appreciate. Walking in the Semien Mountain Range at night with no map or flashlight? Seriously? How dare I ever complain about anything. This was a life-changing experience. What could have left these folks bitter and weak has made them stronger and all the more generous in spirit. The true spirit of the Ethiopians is one of gentleness, kindness and peace. How unfortunate that such wonderful humans have had to endure such terrible misfortune!
I want to share my experience in Gondar at the Jewish Community Center where I saw the most beautiful, wide eyed, innocent, gorgeous children who are living in Limboland with their parents waiting for some bureaucrats in Israel to say “Yes, come here now. You have every right to be in Israel regardless of your religion. This is a humanitarian crisis. We don’t care if you are not practicing Judaism. We will rescue you and teach you to be Jewish if that is what it will take”.
I witnessed a Shabbat service unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They were dressed in white, listening to an Ashkenazi Rabbi who translated so they could understand. I met one woman who has been waiting 19 years to make Aliya to Israel. I wonder how I would do in these circumstances, especially living in these sparse conditions.


There are approximately 8000 Falash Mura people in Ethiopia waiting and hoping to leave. Many converted to Christianity for the sake of survival. The most recent group to leave in 2017 was 1300 people. 2700 had applied through their Israel relatives. 500 were rejected. 900 are still waiting to see if they will go to Israel in 2018 and there is no approved Israeli budget yet. To learn more read about the dilemma of who is Jewish and who isn't,  you can check out Law of Return.

Next Location: Hurfeish, Israel, a Druze Village

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Hurfeish, Israel, a Druze village
PictureThe Faris Family
I went to Hurfeish and lived with two separate Druze families for 4 days. I was sent here by the Metro West Jewish Federation of New Jersey to prepare 8 Lacemakers for a trip to the United States. 

The Druze are the nicest, most hospitable folks I have ever known. Upon entering a Druze home, out comes coffee with cardamom or tea with fresh mint, fresh fruits, cakes, cookies, and nuts. And you must partake or you will insult these kind souls.

PictureClick on this image to learn more about the Kitab Al Hikma
The Druze originated at the end of the 10th century in Egypt, a monotheistic, secretive religion blending Islam, Hindu and Greek philosophies.  Families all live together until the kids marry and move into their own homes, which are either next door or around the block. Family is a central value in this village. They are not Muslim. Marrying outside the religion is not accepted. They have a choice in choosing whether or not to live a fully religious life. They believe in reincarnation. Their sacred text is called Kitab Al Hikma (Epistles of Wisdom). There are no Druze clergy, ceremonies or rituals as they believe that would distract from one’s connection with God. Druze women may seek higher education and employment. Druze villages exist in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. They adapt fully in their adopted homelands and are a very close-knit, family-oriented people. The Druze in Israel speak Hebrew and Arabic. There are about two million Druze in the world.

There are about 6700 people in this village. And about 2 Million in the world, which includes the United States.


Teaching English And Learning About The "Lacemakers"

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My first visit with the "Lacemakers"
PictureAfaf Faris with her Father, a village elder.
The “Lacemakers” was initiated by a woman named Afaf Faris, who leads a group of 70 women who meet every Monday for 2 hours to crochet, knit, sew, embroider and share their lives. The “Lacemakers” make hats, sweaters, scarves, gloves, socks, key chains, handbags and sell them from a very old stone building on one of the oldest cobblestone streets in the village.  They contribute to the family income which gives them a sense of purpose and pride. 

I met with the ladies daily, teaching them vocabulary related to cooking and handicrafts. In March, eight Lacemakers will be traveling to the United States where they will be giving these classes in Metro West, a Jewish community in New Jersey.

Their grasp of English is slim only due to lack of exposure. My challenge was to help them overcome their nervousness, stressing that being understood was more important than speaking perfect English.
When they travel to the United States with either a husband, father or brother as is the Druze custom, they will be hosted by various families in the community. For most of them, airplane travel will be a new experience.

To learn more about the "Lacemakers" check out this article:   www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160808-the-women-who-never-leave-home
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Me teaching kids English in Hurfeish
PicturePrincipal Ali and ESL teacher Manal From Hurfeish Elementary School B
I also had the opportunity to teach English to some of the Druze kids in Elementary School B in Hurfeish. The 5th and 6th graders were very enthusiastic and excited to practice speaking English with me and each other. We played some games, created little skits in English and enjoyed the chocolate snacks I handed out after the lessons were completed. Now I am working on an email exchange between some of those students and some here in the U.S. so they can learn about each others’ cultures and speak with one another in English.

Stay tuned for my next post about Arad and Ofakim, Israel.

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Ethiopia is "Land of Origins"

2/11/2018

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PictureClick on photo to read the full article
Sorry it’s been a while but I am back now and excited to continue! Before I go on about Ambover Village here’s a little more about Ethiopia:
 
The nickname of Ethiopia is “Land of Origins” and has been used as Ethiopia’s official tourism motto since 2016. The name comes from “Lucy”, whose earliest remains of our human ancestors were found in the Awash Valley. I wrote about her in an earlier blog. But now the Israelis have found remains of an older humanoid so it looks like Lucy will lose her status. Sorry old girl! 

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Ethiopia is the birthplace of the wild coffee plant known as Arabica. I am enjoying the Ethiopian coffee I brought home, so sweet and smooth, and wish I had bought more! The Blue Nile, earth’s longest river begins in Ethiopia. There are astonishing varied landscapes in Ethiopia as well as ancient churches, monasteries, ruins of palatial structures and medieval forts. Nine sites have been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the largest number for any African country. The Semien National Park is one of these which I visited. But more about that later…. Much to learn about Ethiopia. 


I found this great website with the complete timeline of Ethiopian Jews.
Check it out by clicking on the timeline below.


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Belaynesh Zevadia accompanied us to Ambover, her original home. She left the village at age 13 and immigrated to Israel with Operation Moses. She is a graduate of Hebrew University and was the first ambassador of Ethiopian descent. She was assigned to Addis Ababa in 2012. Her father was the Kes (Rabbi) in the village. We entered the synagogue and were spellbound by her emotional story of her brother’s imprisonment. Her father remained in the synagogue for 3 years praying for his son’s release. Eating and sleeping on the floor till his prayers were answered, the Kes was an extraordinary example of the power of prayer and belief in God.
PictureOn the way to Belaynesh's childhood home
We followed Belaynesh up a steep mountain path to what was once her one room, childhood home. I had to stop several times to catch my breath as the elevation was quite high. Imagine her trekking up and down the mountain to attend school and to fetch water several times a day.

 

PictureDavid pointing to his childhood classroom
Also with us was David Ermiase, now a social worker with Ethiopians in Ramat Eliyahu. David grew up outside Ambover in another village and walked here to attend school every day. He showed us where he sat in his former classroom and told us about his escape from here to Sudan at age 18 with friends through the Semien Mountains. Bandits preyed upon them demanding bribe money. By the time he arrived to the Sudan border, his mouth was so dry from not having water that he completely lost his voice. This was his first visit to Ethiopia since he left. He declared this “the best day of my life” and cried tears of joy and sadness. We all cried with him. 

 

Micha wanted us to experience walking in the footsteps of those who escaped through the Semien Mountains to Sudan. Our 90 minute walk in daylight was no comparison to hiking the narrow mountain paths at night with no flashlights or maps to guide them. We had security guards with us and wore reasonable shoes. Children and elders journeyed with their families carefully avoiding loose stones on the trails. Some died along the way and proper burial was impossible. Babies were born in this rugged but stunning mountain range. Determination to reach Jerusalem was their guiding light and inspiration. There is no other way to explain their brave Exodus through such treacherous terrain. 
We stopped at a magnificent lookout point to hear Orly Malessa’s story. Now a graduate of Beersheva University and a successful filmmaker in Tel Aviv, Orly was only 2 years old when her family fled Ethiopia on foot. Describing the suffering of her parents when they thought her younger sibling had died during the escape, Orly broke down while telling her story. The baby did survive and they finally arrived in Israel after some years in the refugee camp. Orly’s great sensitivity, perseverance and strength are the results of the hardships she experienced. 
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    Miriam Seiden is a cultural explorer who loves to write about her living bridges around the world.

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