my first week of school is in the books!
the path to my school placement was more complex than most. in the first few weeks of the program, our group visited several schools in Lod in order to find the volunteer placement that best fit our personality and skills. I decided that i wanted to teach English in a school called Ort. This school is unique- it is in the "Train Neighborhood" of Lod (referred to as "HaRakevet"), which is an Arab neighborhood known for its violent crime and drug trade. The students in Ort are predominantly Palestinian or Bedouin, and have suffered through a notoriously weak school system up until high school. Three years ago, an incredible leader in the Arab community, a woman named Shirin, convinced the Israeli government to build a beautiful new school right in the middle of HaRakavet. Shirin is known nationwide as an advocate for Arab educational rights, and demanded that the only way to fight hate and crime in a struggling city is to educate its youth, especially those of high school age. I felt very strongly that I wanted to help Shirin's mission and be a positive presence in the lives of these teenagers.
But, as weeks passed, everything changed. After multiple conversations between my supervisor, Shirin, and the Lod Minister of Education regarding the current security situation in Israel, it was decided that it would not be safe for me, as a Jewish female, to spend my mornings in the Rakevet District. Although Shirin promised my safety within school walls, the volatility of this conflict demands superior caution than what she could provide. This decision was devastating to me. Despite increasing violence here, I have not yet been totally, unequivocally restricted from going anywhere in Israel. In my opinion, these boundaries would serve only to keep students from learning English and trapping them in the cycle of ignorance that breeds extremism and poverty in the first place- the exact extremism and poverty that I am here to combat. Suffice it to say that this was not a decision that sat well with me. But I appreciated it as the safest option, and so the task ensued of finding me a new school. Fortunately, success wasn't far away.
My new school is called Gnei Aviv (pronounced ga-NAY ah-VEEV-- it means spring garden) and is located in a neighborhood of the same name. This neighborhood is known in Lod for its large Russian population. Most teachers at the Gnei Aviv were born in the former Soviet Union, and its students, ranging from grades 1-8, are either first- or second- generation immigrants from Russia or Ukraine. This means that, for most students at Gnei Aviv, English is not their first, not their second, but their THIRD language. Oy vey! (that's Yiddish, but you get the picture).
So far I have found that most student handle this challenge remarkably well. This week I sat and observed each of the classes I would be teaching, and was floored at the excitement of the students towards English. And, as the girl with native English and weirdly light skin and hair, I was the most exciting of all. This was bittersweet, as the kids' curiosity of me became borderline invasive (I've been asked multiple times if I am married and/or have kids, despite my insistence that 22 is too young for such things- ???!!?). But above all, the kids are sweet and friendly and eager to learn, and I could not be more thrilled to get started.
What an excellent introduction to the Israeli way. It is a sad, sad truth that the avoidance of violence here is omnipresent. Everyone, in every country, is used to making concessions to keep themselves safe. But only in Israel does it pervade every decision you make, especially in recent weeks. Thus, the Israeli way of life demands a certain deftness, a flexibility to change your course at any moment. No one wants this. But, as you'll hear any Israeli say, "it's what we live with". In changing schools, I got yet another small taste of what it takes to navigate a land rife with conflict. I consider myself tremendously fortunate to have found not just a viable, but a remarkable alternative in Gnei Aviv. I have not given up on Ort, not in the slightest. I am hoping to work with Ort students in an afterschool program at the local library. But for now, this is just one more reason to continue working for peace.
also, a quick update on my coexistence project: i am still in the process of scheduling interviews with people of interest. hang tight- the first post will be up soon!
here are a few pictures of my new school. today we had an assembly in honor of the late Yitzak Rabin, the former Israeli Prime Minister that signed the Camp David Accords and made great strides towards peace. Rabin was assassinated in late October 1992, just a couple months before I was born. Even now, the country continues to mourn the loss of this powerful visionary of peace.