AUJS in Israel
A DELEGATION of young Australians has visited Israel’s Arava region for four days of volunteer work. The 59 Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) members, on the AUJS Academy-Onward Israel program, paid a visit to the region under the Arava-Australia partnership, part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2gether venture, coordinated locally by the Zionist Federation of Australia.
A DELEGATION of young Australians has visited Israel’s Arava region for four days of volunteer work. The 59 Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) members, on the AUJS Academy-Onward Israel program, paid a visit to the region under the Arava-Australia partnership, part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2gether venture, coordinated locally by the Zionist Federation of Australia.
In activities coordinated by Orit Elkayam Cohen, director of Partnership 2Gether for Arava-Australia, the young Aussies built spiral herb gardens and mud benches at pre-schools on Kibbutz Sapir and Kibbutz Tzofar, planted acacia trees as part of the Adopt-an-Acacia project, worked on farms, gave English lessons in the high school, and renovated a giant concrete ramp behind a community centre.
The ramp was painted, herb beds were planted around it, and a mosaic was created featuring the letters of a Leah Goldberg poem and of animals native to Australia and to Israel, which was attached to the ramp.
The Arava region also farewelled four Australian teachers who had been volunteering during December.
Naomi Rubinstein and Melanie Kagan worked in the high school, with all classes, including students from the Adam V’Adama leadership program. The ninth-graders staged a play in English, with the help of the teachers.
Michal Levi-Hardy and Helene Oberman worked at the elementary school, together with the English teachers, in the fifth and sixth grades. Oberman, who was visiting the Arava for the third time, also worked in the pre-schools on Kibbutz Sapir, Kibbutz Tzofar and Kibbutz Faran which are participating in a twinning program with Australian pre-schools.
Meanwhile, a dream became reality for university student Cameron Graf, who had set his sights on leading AUJS’ Taglit-Birthright program.
Graf was selected to be a madrich (leader) on the recent December trip, alongside Rosa Zwier, Jarred Slomoi and AUJS national shlicha Rachel Adams.
They led Jewish youth from around Australia, ranging in age from 20 to 26 years, who had never been to Israel on an organised program.
“It was challenging because the feeling of responsibility for a group of adults was quite daunting at first, but I derived a lot of enjoyment from leading the group and introducing them to Israel,” Graf told The AJN.
Over the course of 10 days, they explored the sites of Jerusalem, floated in the Dead Sea, experienced the nightlife of Tel Aviv, climbed Masada at sunrise, and slept overnight in Bedouin-style tents in the Negev.
Recommending the program to all young adults, Graf noted: “It opened the participants’ eyes and a lot of them came back with a renewed, positive perspective on Israel.”
PETER KOHN & ELENORE LEVI
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