Day 3: On our way to the Kibbutzim!

Final Morning in Tel Aviv
We woke up this morning and had to say good bye to Tel Aviv. Our time there was truly incredible. In a short time we were exposed to so many new experiences and were able to see the beautiful work of some amazing agencies.

Dr. Moti Cristal – “The Negotiator”
Prior to heading north, we met with Dr. Moti Cristal, who provided the group with a discussion pertaining to Israel’s role in the Middle East and strategic assessment both within the country as well as globally. Some of the main points he discussed included how the United States is losing it’s standing in the world as a leading political power, the Arab Spring, and the Israeli economic situation – most notably the high cost of living in Israel. He shared his enthusiasm for the active social economic movement the people of Israeli have been taking to press Israeli policy makers to address these issues.

Kibbutz Ga’aton
Our first stop after a few hours on the road (passing through Haifa on the way – 1st pic below) was the Kibbutz Ga’aton Contemporary Dance Company. Upon our arrival we were surrounded by a stunning landscape complete with vibrant flowers and masses of lush greenery. This was in sharp contrast to the urban feel of Tel Aviv. These young talented dancers come from all over the world to participate in this internationally acclaimed program. We were struck by the insightfulness of the students. The dancers represented the United States, Taiwan, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, Argentina, France, Sweden and Italy…to name some. Not only were they stunning dancers, but when asked to say something about themselves, they were incredibly well spoken. They all spoke beautiful English along with learning Hebrew as part of the programs’ carriculum. Traveling around Israel it has been painfully clear how behind we are as Americans only speaking one language. We truly enjoyed watching these talented dancers perform. The kibbutz is located in the heart of western Galilee. Their dance programs also serve the cultural needs of the local community.

Yokneam-Megiddo Partnership 2000 Program

Next, we headed straight to Yokneam-Meggido (our partnership region). We were privileged to get to see how some of the Federation’s programs are impacting the lives of Ethiopian immigrants. The teenage girls performed some of their traditional Ethiopian dance. It was so touching to see these young girls feel so confident about themselves, their culture and their new life here in Israel. These refugees came to this country with nothing. They came from a primitive existence and had to literally re-learn how to live their lives. Because the Ethiopian men come here and often feel lost and lacking purpose, they have created an unbelievable organic garden. Farming is what they know. It is what they understand and how they survived all their lives. We were able to walk around their amazing garden as they pointed out the differences between the Israeli basil and the Ethiopian basil. They also gave us the beautiful experience of helping them plant on their land. Without being able to speak a word of any common language, these men were able to communicate their intense pride. How they felt about this accomplishment was written all over the expressions on their faces. As we left they were taking handfuls of vegetables for us to keep. I believe we all took away much more than that.

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