Part of my job is to guide the English-speaking groups that come to volunteer at the site where I work, to instruct them about what we do, how we do it, why, with what, etc. I handle a staggering array of different kind of groups – different nationalities and ages, vastly different religious backgrounds – and I try to make every group feel special, because for the most part, they are. But still, when a group comes to me and is gone two hours later, what I do is little more than to “handle” them: I turn my mouth on and let myself talk for 20-30 minutes, then I show them how to volunteer, then I have the same conversations with them as they go about the process, then I thank them and send them on their way. I do my best to inspire, but who can really be inspired in 120 crowded, wet and dirty minutes?
It’s a very different scenario with regular groups, people who come back week to week, time after time, again and again. They get to know me a little bit as a person and I get to know them. There are topics I’m not supposed to discuss at work (politics, of course), but outside of that frame, a lot of topics are fair game, from the superficial to the really meaningful. Recurring groups, especially the English-speaking groups whom I supervise, become a special and treasured event in my weekly schedule.
One group in particular, which said goodbye today, will be missed by all at the site. They’re a group of 18-19 year old girls (two, I think, are a bit older) who’ve been coming since September (ie, their school year) as part of their volunteering track at Midreshet HaRova’s year program, about three on Mondays and maybe six or seven on Thursdays. They’re a bright group of people in their own right, and I think the amount of dedication and passion they’ve shown in the past nine months is spectacular. It definitely will not be the same without them. I know I’m just one small part of their year-in-Israel experience, but they have been no small part of my work-in-Israel experience.
Of course, of the group, one is making Aliyah in three weeks and will be a student at Hebrew University in the fall, and another is going to return to the Midrasha for a second year (I don’t know if they held her back or what, but how do you fail shana b’aretz?). Talia and Gila are officially my favorites.
Told about this post by Tilla… so came to say hello. anyway, read your Jerusalem post which was interesting though really different from my conception of the city…
moshe
Coming as you do from Beer Sheva and Alon Shvut, I can imagine you have a more dynamic conception of Jerusalem.
i don’t think you can actually fail shana baaretz! but what do you think tilla was doing she did shana bet this year how could you insult her like that!!!! also i quite proud of the fact that i’m the favorite of the thursday group but don’t you think other ppl will get upset about it?
-gila
I was joking about failing shana b’aretz. Joking. I know what shana bet is.
And, my favorites are whoever decides to stay in Israel. I want everyone to stay, whether it’s for shana bet, university, sherut leumi, army, a job, or without any plans. Aliyah rocks.