A continuation of the Planning & Allocations Trip in Israel …
Today we we met 4 extraordinary women and one passionate man.
The first two women were the Development Director and house mother for Orr Shalom. Ravit had awakened at 6 am to make strudel and apple tarts and the house was redolent with the delicious aroma. This was a home where the mother and father loved 11 children, both foster and orphans, plus their own 3 year old. Jewish Federation of St. Louis supports the vacation camp that sends 50 children camping in the summer and on school holidays to allow the parents to rest,recharge and avoid burnout. Ziva called her a woman with a “golden heart”.
From there we went to Leket Israel, the food pantry where they claim to rescue food that would be wasted but really where they rescue people from the injustice of hunger. They actually have 22 women who pick food from the fields and gather unused food from restaurants and businesses as well as weddings and Bar Mitzvahs to feed the elderly and needy.
For lunch we met with the Spring flower Avivit. She is an eloquent passionate woman who staffs a Task Force that works to share knowledge about minority status in Israel to allow American Jewry to advocate for fair treatment for all Israelis,Jews and Arabs.
We traveled to the Arab town of Tira and met with Dr Dalia Fadila, a woman who is changing Arab society by changing the status quo and teaching English to Arab children. They start as young as two (thanks to inspiration by Terry Bloomberg) through high school. The older children have participated In a Model UN program, thanks to the Jewish Federation of St Louis support, where they are paired with a Jewish student. She has developed the curriculum and she has been the main driver for success in this program
Lastly we visited a Bayit Ham, warm house, an after school program for children without resources to give them a place to go after school for some fun and a hot meal and some adult positive attention.
