The group spent their first Siyyur volunteering at Pitchon Lev, an organization in Rishon LeZion that organizes food packages for the less fortunate. All of the Bat Yam classes and volunteering started this week and the group is enjoying Bat Yam's beautiful beach. Check out some of the pictures from the first few weeks.
Also, here's an article from Yoni Buckman written about the trip to Pitchon Lev:
This past Tuesday, all of us on SHALEM went to Rishon LeZion to volunteer at an organization called PITCHON LEV which makes and distributes food packages for the less fortunate in the city. Usually, Tuesdays are occupied by a Siyur (a group trip) aimed to enhance our knowledge of Israel and the Jewish people, and this week our Siyur was slightly different in that we were volunteering and helping others instead of focusing primarily on ourselves. Although the Siyur did not seem to be as beneficial to ourselves as it would be to others, each of us definitely gained many important insights into Israeli culture and those who work - literally - underground, supporting the country.
When we arrived in Rishon LeZion, we were dropped off at a very familiar looking shopping area, a setting that most of us are very familiar with. However, we did not go into any of the stores or famous restaurants, such as Toys R' Us, the Nike Store, or Burger King, rather we were taken into the sublevel parking lot and taken to a very dark and stuffy area against the concrete walls, covered in boxes of food and clothing. From there, we were introduced to the staff of PITCHON LEV who gave us our instructions on how to put together food packages to go to families for the High Holidays.
We were split into teams in front of two long tables and soon put to work sorting flour, chickpeas, rice, and soup mix into plastic bags. In order to both be efficient and have some fun, each team turned our community service into a competitive race, of which team could complete their task first. Through all the competition and a little fooling around, we soon forgot about the heat and the uncomfortable conditions in which we were working. By the end of the day, each person had largely contributed to the group's task in feeding the less fortunate and we were all in a far better mood than when we had arrived.
Although we had some fun and turned our work into a bit of a game, we did realize all the hard work and time that those who ran the program put into it. Unlike us, those people didn't always have a fun group of teenagers to do their jobs, and their tasks did not only last a few hours of a single day, but they devoted their days to helping others. Through our short time in Rishon LeZion, we learned so much about a side of Israel that we have not all yet seen. On this Siyur, we met a new demographic of Israeli society. We were not spending time with the typical Israeli taxi driver that we've become familiar with, or with soldiers who we see walking through the streets, or even those in suits working in office buildings. On this Siyur, we met a group of people who chose to work in the heat and the dark of an unattractive parking garage with the sole purpose of selflessly helping others.
But perhaps the most important part of this Siyur was not just the people we met or a side of Israel that we haven't seen before. The most influential part of this volunteering was what we felt after we had finished. When we walked into that parking garage, the first thing that went through my mind was how hot it was and how much I would like to get out of it and breathe fresh air. But through the time that I spent with everyone, I became more comfortable with my setting and had fun while working, and by the time I walked out, I felt accomplished and happy to have helped out. Although this Siyur was not as aesthetically pleasant or rigorous as a hike in the Carmel, I believe that I connected so much more to the true beauty of Israel: that every day, people devote their time to help the less fortunate, keeping Israel alive from those who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families to those who have the privilege of being a part of it through volunteering.
Also, here's an article from Yoni Buckman written about the trip to Pitchon Lev:
This past Tuesday, all of us on SHALEM went to Rishon LeZion to volunteer at an organization called PITCHON LEV which makes and distributes food packages for the less fortunate in the city. Usually, Tuesdays are occupied by a Siyur (a group trip) aimed to enhance our knowledge of Israel and the Jewish people, and this week our Siyur was slightly different in that we were volunteering and helping others instead of focusing primarily on ourselves. Although the Siyur did not seem to be as beneficial to ourselves as it would be to others, each of us definitely gained many important insights into Israeli culture and those who work - literally - underground, supporting the country.
When we arrived in Rishon LeZion, we were dropped off at a very familiar looking shopping area, a setting that most of us are very familiar with. However, we did not go into any of the stores or famous restaurants, such as Toys R' Us, the Nike Store, or Burger King, rather we were taken into the sublevel parking lot and taken to a very dark and stuffy area against the concrete walls, covered in boxes of food and clothing. From there, we were introduced to the staff of PITCHON LEV who gave us our instructions on how to put together food packages to go to families for the High Holidays.
When we arrived in Rishon LeZion, we were dropped off at a very familiar looking shopping area, a setting that most of us are very familiar with. However, we did not go into any of the stores or famous restaurants, such as Toys R' Us, the Nike Store, or Burger King, rather we were taken into the sublevel parking lot and taken to a very dark and stuffy area against the concrete walls, covered in boxes of food and clothing. From there, we were introduced to the staff of PITCHON LEV who gave us our instructions on how to put together food packages to go to families for the High Holidays.
We were split into teams in front of two long tables and soon put to work sorting flour, chickpeas, rice, and soup mix into plastic bags. In order to both be efficient and have some fun, each team turned our community service into a competitive race, of which team could complete their task first. Through all the competition and a little fooling around, we soon forgot about the heat and the uncomfortable conditions in which we were working. By the end of the day, each person had largely contributed to the group's task in feeding the less fortunate and we were all in a far better mood than when we had arrived.
Although we had some fun and turned our work into a bit of a game, we did realize all the hard work and time that those who ran the program put into it. Unlike us, those people didn't always have a fun group of teenagers to do their jobs, and their tasks did not only last a few hours of a single day, but they devoted their days to helping others. Through our short time in Rishon LeZion, we learned so much about a side of Israel that we have not all yet seen. On this Siyur, we met a new demographic of Israeli society. We were not spending time with the typical Israeli taxi driver that we've become familiar with, or with soldiers who we see walking through the streets, or even those in suits working in office buildings. On this Siyur, we met a group of people who chose to work in the heat and the dark of an unattractive parking garage with the sole purpose of selflessly helping others.
But perhaps the most important part of this Siyur was not just the people we met or a side of Israel that we haven't seen before. The most influential part of this volunteering was what we felt after we had finished. When we walked into that parking garage, the first thing that went through my mind was how hot it was and how much I would like to get out of it and breathe fresh air. But through the time that I spent with everyone, I became more comfortable with my setting and had fun while working, and by the time I walked out, I felt accomplished and happy to have helped out. Although this Siyur was not as aesthetically pleasant or rigorous as a hike in the Carmel, I believe that I connected so much more to the true beauty of Israel: that every day, people devote their time to help the less fortunate, keeping Israel alive from those who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families to those who have the privilege of being a part of it through volunteering.
Although we had some fun and turned our work into a bit of a game, we did realize all the hard work and time that those who ran the program put into it. Unlike us, those people didn't always have a fun group of teenagers to do their jobs, and their tasks did not only last a few hours of a single day, but they devoted their days to helping others. Through our short time in Rishon LeZion, we learned so much about a side of Israel that we have not all yet seen. On this Siyur, we met a new demographic of Israeli society. We were not spending time with the typical Israeli taxi driver that we've become familiar with, or with soldiers who we see walking through the streets, or even those in suits working in office buildings. On this Siyur, we met a group of people who chose to work in the heat and the dark of an unattractive parking garage with the sole purpose of selflessly helping others.
But perhaps the most important part of this Siyur was not just the people we met or a side of Israel that we haven't seen before. The most influential part of this volunteering was what we felt after we had finished. When we walked into that parking garage, the first thing that went through my mind was how hot it was and how much I would like to get out of it and breathe fresh air. But through the time that I spent with everyone, I became more comfortable with my setting and had fun while working, and by the time I walked out, I felt accomplished and happy to have helped out. Although this Siyur was not as aesthetically pleasant or rigorous as a hike in the Carmel, I believe that I connected so much more to the true beauty of Israel: that every day, people devote their time to help the less fortunate, keeping Israel alive from those who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families to those who have the privilege of being a part of it through volunteering.
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