Independent living is something which most 18 year olds
dream of but when thrust directly into this situation some thrive whilst others
struggle. Aviv’s community program attempts to teach our mixed group of 20
participants (some from group one and some from group two) how to live without
the aid of madrichim or parents in an apartment setting with our peers in which
we cook, eat, sleep and live independently. Our group, based in Ra’anana, consists
of 15 girls and 5 boys, whilst two other groups reside in Kiryat Yam and
Tiberius respectively.
As our free weekend concluded, most were appalled as they
were informed that we were expected to board a public bus to Ra’anana along
with their baggage. The bus ride which ensued is considered as one of the least
pleasurable ever taken, by both ourselves and the members of the public who
were bombarded and blocked by our suitcases at every opportunity. We eventually
survived and arrived in Ra’anana and were soon shown to our apartments, and
again some were distinctly unhappy, this time with the prospect of sharing a
room with strangers for the next month. Lunch was soon enjoyed together by all
in a nice grassy space just outside our apartments, sandwiches were on the menu
and soon after completing them, designated members of each apartment headed out
to the supermarket to do a plus-sized shop for the next week. All returned
gradually after roughly three hours some happier than others and eager to see
if they had made decisions which would see them and their roommates well-nourished
for the next week. The madrichim who are accompanying us in Ra’anana, Daniella
and Tracey have decided to split their budget amongst each apartment and have
been rostered to eat with various groups for every meal of every day, other
than breakfast. Dinner was had in our various apartment groups, with the two
boys apartments combining into a group of 5 for all meals, some meals were
better than others as most set the standard for their meals for the next month,
the delicious-looking shakshuka made by Bec, Daena, Erin and Prielle definitely
took the cake (mind the pun) as the best meal of the day. The day was rounded
out by a quick chat about volunteering and the receiving of information
regarding our volunteering schedule for the coming week.
Monday saw an early wakeup and individual breakfast followed
by a bus ride to the offices of Leket, an organisation which facilitates the
growing, picking and distribution of fruit to/for Israel’s less fortunate. Our
services were engaged to help put together mail-outs to Leket’s donors which
included a letter, newsletter and return envelope. It was a largely menial
task, however someone had to do it and we went about doing so with aplomb. Come
1PM we were released and handed an exorbitant amount of free time which most
used to chill out and relax. Bed time was quickly upon us and heads hit pillows
exhausted. The next day featured more volunteering for Leket, this time at
their factory hand sorting fruits into their various places and packing orders
which were to be sent out to various soup kitchens and the like. Chill time
followed and I split off from the group to meet up with some friends who had
recently arrived in Israel, who coincidentally have a blog of their own, follow
them at http://wrublewskisam.wix.com/thethreeamigos
(yes, a shameless plug, I’m sorry…), it was great to see some of my old mates
again after a two month absence! Any who, I soon re-joined the group midway
through a peula about volunteering and the psychological connotations which accompany
it.
Wednesday saw the beginning of 9 of our 20 person group’s
just over a week at Natanya’s Wingate Institute, for those who don’t know,
Wingate is the Israeli equivalent of the Australian Institute of Sport in
Canberra (AIS). Wednesday featured an anatomy class, an hour of TRX (suspension
training which stretches muscles) in the gym as well as a cut-short session
about nutrition. Whilst Thursday included a hands-on orienteering lesson from
Israel’s third best orienteer which was not as highly participated in as could
have been due to soreness from the previous day’s intensive TRX session.
Wingate has been highly enjoyable and educatory and only comes with one
negative, the double bus ride which must be taken in order to arrive at the
campus. Whilst we are at Wingate, the rest of the group have been volunteering
at Leket in the mornings and riding bikes with disabled people in the afternoon.
Friday was a suitably relaxed Shabbat. The morning included
a chat about the army from Daniella’s cousin and some of her brother’s friends
who informed us of their individual functions in the IDF as well as other
surrounding issues in general to do with the Israeli army. Following lunch we
headed off to a nearby park where scout meetings were taking place and were invited
to take place in their misdar ceremony in which they dance and sing. In Israel
scouts is a youth movement very similar to Habonim Dror in Australia however on
a much larger scale, with over 60,000 chanichim (kids) nationwide. Madricha Daniella
felt right at home as a former chanich and mardicha of the movement, whilst
some Avivians got into it more than others. Our final outing of the day was to
Daniella’s house where her parents cooked us up a delightful BBQ, the best meal
we had consumed for a while as we all briefly remembered the taste of
home-cooked food. It was a very nice evening and the hospitality we received
was unbelievably overwhelming.
Saturday featured a much-needed late wakeup, the day began
with a group lunch outside on the grassy patch as each individual brought their
own meal with them. Following lunch we headed out to a nearby park and engaged
in a peula which raised issues of assimilation and Judaism, and the topic of
inter-marriage and Jewish continuity as everyone was encouraged to question
their own beliefs and future actions.
It was a great first week in Ra’anana as we grapple with the
expectations of individual living, especially in the kitchen, as the stereotype
that girls cook better than boys is proven correct time and time again. But
mark my words, at some point the boys will get it right!
Another awesome week down, 86 days to look forward to!
Jake
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