Ashalim: The Macro and Micro

Painting our emotions and actions

Exploring the function of line, color, and texture in TalPaz

Discovering positive and negative space in Bakka

Lately my work has been all about art. The art of teaching. The art of planning. Children's art. Community art. Infusion of art into society. The use of art as a social vehicle. And it's been artfully delightful! Through my work with Ashalim, I have been given the opportunity to participate in the development of an art program that supports youth at risk both on the macro level in my work developing a national scale program that is seeking to nurture hundreds and hundreds of youth, and also on the micro in my work at the two moadoniyot (after school programs) where I am implementing an art curriculum that was developed in Haifa. Both sides of the coin have been illuminating in their own ways.

The Micro

I loved this kid's story about falling and hurting his knee. Can you tell?

The final results were fabulous!

For the past few months now, I have developed a steady schedule and warm report with the staff and children of both moadoniyot. Each week when I arrive, I am greeted by warm hugs and smiles and always look forward to when the children jump on me and then show me something new. I have been slowly decorating the wall of my room with adorable little notes from the kids and filling my photo gallery with pictures of their beautiful artwork. The program has been wildly successful: I see bright color, happy and focused artists at work, great discussion about the elements of composition, and the beautification of the space. Each week, I meet with the counselors to plan out the materials, approach, and focus of the following week's lesson. Recently, I have also taken to choosing a child volunteer who helps me create the sample artwork for that week's lesson based on their participation and work ethic from the past week. Through this, the students have been empowered to be leaders, and I try to choose the kids who complain that their work isn't coming out good or that they can't succeed, and show them that art is all about exploration and mistakes and thinking thoughtfully about how best to portray our topic. So far, we have learned about the line, space, and have begun the basics of pointillism. Each week, I begin the lesson with a short history of a famous artist who can inspire us in our work and then we end each lesson with a group reflection over the incredible art they created that day. I have also felt very blessed to be wholeheartedly included as welcomed staff at each location, being invited to special trips and meetings for the staff, and have been asked by each of them separately if I would consider working there full-time! It's been so nice to be teaching again, but this time in art, something I have always considered a passion and never have gotten to really focus on. It has truly been a period of color, beauty, and discovery through the kids' eyes.


The Macro

Discovering different uses of the line

My hands-on exposure to trying to replicate the arts program in a place without the resources, expertise, or connection to a museum like in Haifa has led to reflection. Each week I have had to change the materials based on the limited tools each moadonit has, and adapt the lessons to suit our needs. Because of this insight and starting to think more deeply about how to successfully replicate the program in other locations, I am now going to be writing a long term curriculum and detailed lesson plan for the program that will be easily distributed to locations throughout the country. I will be traveling to Haifa biweekly to work with the staff there and am thrilled to be given the chance to create curriculum and hopefully impact and enliven the experience of hundreds children! So far I have written several sample lesson plans and presented to the staff at the museum and have been in discussions about the introduction and structure and framework of the curriculum. I have been fortunate to come into contact with many impressive people at the museum, through the ministry of education, the ministry of education of Haifa, the staff overseeing the moadoniyot program, and staff at Ashalim. If by the end of the year I can leave them with a concrete, detailed, and replicable model for an art curriculum that can be understood by teachers, counselors, and artists alike, then I will have met my goal. I am very excited to be a part of this!

Ashalim: It's All About Exposure

I was sitting in a meeting at the JDC office discussing my proposal for a national program that uses the arts to improve the academics of youth-at-risk when it all clicked. "The most important thing that we can do," Yehudit, who is in charge of the project, said, "is expose these children to art they never would have known about, and then to continue to give them chances to nurture and improve their new-found skills." This, to me, is what this work has been all about.

Through Ashalim, I have been given the opportunity to help change lives by opening children's eyes to the things I have always taken for granted: art and music. Through simple initiatives, we are able to illuminate a child's mind with a future full of possibilities. I don't mean to be cliche, but it's true. Two programs that make my point:

Sulamot

The other day I attended the opening ceremony of a new children's orchestra. The program hopes one day to be in every school in the country, providing every child with the very real opportunity to reap the benefits of a lifetime as a musician. For the opening, a small orchestra comprised of professional musicians from the Israeli Philharmonic, the program's music teachers, soldiers, and volunteers from local music schools played children-friendly pieces, including French composer's Camille Saint-Saën's fourteen movement sweet, "The Carnival of the Animals" to an audience of the future participants of the program. Each child sat on bleachers in the gym of the elementary school, clad in white sweatshirts advertising the program, red carnations in hand. I watched as each child eagerly awaited for the instrument they have chosen to study be highlighted in yet another whimsical song, and then run to present a carnation to their favorite performer. It was an uplifting evening full of so much excitement for what is to come. I eagerly await the end of year performance when the children themselves perform!

Highlighting the cello

Highlighting the flute

The children's instruments

Waiting with the carnations

Testing out the harp

Testing out the cello

After the show

Yeladim Yotstrim
Begun in Haifa, this is a program that connects the art museums with the after school programs, bringing an intensive art class to children who may never have seen a real painting before. After having visited Haifa several times, for workshops and meetings, and learned all about the curriculum and participating in talks about bringing the initiative to the whole country, I have now begun to implement the same art lessons in the two after schools where I work in Jerusalem.

After surviving a full lesson all in Hebrew, the beautiful results speak for themselves:

The continuation of the picture

At one of the moadoniyot

Exploring with the art supplies

The finished product!

 Some close-ups!

The finished product at the second moadonit

The JDC Impact

In working with Ashalim, JDC-Israel's department for youth at risk, as well as a fellow for JDC-Israel on a whole, I have been fortunate to be exposed to and even work on some pretty incredible social service projects over a relatively short amount of time. Since I arrived in mid-September, a mere three-and-a-half months ago, 

I have already learned about:

A Hibuki Child

• A wonderful youth Chanukah Arts Camp in which participants create all aspects of a play from scratch during one intensive week.
• Kfar Hassidim Youth Village which serves hundreds of new immigrants to Israel through a very enlightened and innovative academic approach. 
• Cafe Yael near Sderot, where high school drop-outs, juvenile offenders, and disaffected teens learn entrepreneurship and are given the chance to rise up the business ladder and help run the cafe.
• Hibuki, a clever therapeutic model where large, huggable dolls are given to child victims of trauma (first begun in Ashkelon and then brought to Japan in reaction to the earthquake and tsunami) where through learning to "care" for their not-so-invisible friend, they really learn to care for themselves.
• The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, modeled after the Yemin Orde Youth Village in the north of Israel, and serving orphans of the genocide. 
• Chotam, based on Teach For America, for which I was a corps member, in collaboration with Teach For All.
• There's soooooo much more!

I have already visited/been involved with:

Children's artwork in Haifa from a December arts festival

• Yeladim Yotsrim: a collaboration with the government, JDC, Haifa Museum of Art, and after school programs for youth at risk throughout Haifa that exposes students to a special art course and brought to museum visits and workshops.  
• Sulamot: a youth orchestra program based on Venezuela's wildly successful national initiative, El Sistema.

An Ethiopian Kes during a traditional tea ceremony

• Pact/ECHAD: an early childhood intervention program for Ethiopian children, that has instead helped so many more than just that population.
• Better Together: an initiative that works to establish long-term change by partnering with already existing residents and providers to focus on early childhood, academics, and extracurricular opportunities. I visited a remarkable community center in the Arab-Israeli town of Sakhnin.

An Arab-Israeli Kindergarten

• CIL: both an incredibly moving and exciting documentary debut following the lives of disabled people living in Israel and a gorgeous Center for Independent Living in Beer Sheva that serves to 1,500 people with disabilities, including 400 Bedouins. There, we saw the breathtaking artwork created by those that both work and live there decorating every corner of the wall and the wildly successful restaurant that is adjacent, largely staffed by people with disabilities themselves.

A community garden at one of the Better Together Communities

• TEVET: an employment facility for Arab Israeli women.
• A Restorative Rehabilitation Center for juvenile offenders, where I heard the inspirational story of a boy who burned down the kitchen of a local store and then refurbished it himself, and in the process paving himself a new path. 

A concert celebrating the Ethiopian holiday of Sigd

• An incredibly moving introductory workshop to a photography course for Jewish and Arab Israeli teens.
  
• Several housing developments and community centers for new immigrants.

The restaurant outside of the CIL in Beer Sheva

• Workshops for different professionals--educators, social workers, art and music therapists--working with youth at risk, in collaboration with JDC-Israel Ashalim and the Ministry of Education. 
  
• I'm sure I'm forgetting many things...

 I have already worked at/on:

In the Maleh Room in Gilo

 A MALEH Room in Makif Gilo School: In JDC's words, "School-based dropout prevention program that works to retain... middle school students in their schools. Maleh sets up alternative learning spaces where high-risk students receive individualized emotional and scholastic support so that they can reintegrate into their regular classes." During my time there I worked one-on-one with six students, ages 14 to 16, providing English tutoring and mentorship. I also began working on a new initiative which will hopefully have a place in the national program that focuses on community.

At one of the moadoniyot

Moadoniyot: Basically after-school programs for youth at risk, where children arrive directly from school for a hot lunch, followed by a group meeting, homework support, play, extracurricular activities, and an ending meeting. I work at two different moadoniyot in Jerusalem, one in Bakka and the other in East Talpiyot, where I am providing one-on-one tutoring and working on implementing the "Yeladim Yotsrim" art collaboration program that began in Haifa.

Also at the moadonit

National Program in the Arts: I have been given the opportunity to write a research-based proposal for a national program that uses the arts to help bridge the gap of education for youth at risk. We're at the beginning stages but I am thrilled to get a chance to help in establishing a new program from the very beginning!


And this is only scratching the surface. I am constantly awed by the work that can be accomplished by all in all a small group of passionate, relentless, brilliant innovators. With all the problems in the world, when you look at the above list, it gives a lot of hope for 2012, don't you think?

The Time For Miracles

I've always enjoyed celebrating Hanukah: the colorful candles and wax designs that form as they melt, the delicious oily taste of latkes, and the story of the Maccabees. Then, growing up, there was the added treat of presents so that us Jewish kids wouldn't feel so left out from Christmas. I've been in Israel at least a dozen times on Hanukah and have always given thanks for the opportunity to be surrounded by my holiday and my people instead of blinking lights on Christmas tress, jingle bells everyone from the radio to the streets, and Santa ads as early as Thanksgiving. It even turned out that a few times my family just happened to have Chinese food and then watch a movie, returning home only to then realize that it was ironically December 25th. So I'm used to Hanukah in Israel and used to Hanukiot surrounding me instead of colorful trees.

But being in Israel during the weeks leading up to Hanukah and right on through the holiday season has been a completely different ballgame. In the past I have found beauty in the story of the eight nights of oil. I have marveled in the connection to real history while walking on the exact land the Maccabees fought on thousands of years ago. I have thought about the miracle while lighting the candles and singing the songs. But the miracle takes on a whole new meaning here: "nes gadol hayah po." A great miracle happened here. And right now is the time of miracles. Everywhere around me there is talk of this month as a period of nes.  With the flickering of the Hanukiot I see all around, I can't help thinking that maybe they are right.

All different people I have met and spoken to have indicated that this is the moment when miracles are in the air and after hearing it enough times, I have been trying to decide what small miracle I am going to focus on. I am already thankful to the miracle that I am in fact here this year. I am thankful for the miracle of my family, the miracle of thinking in a new way, the miracle of sharing ways of thinking and belief with those around me. There area also plenty of miracles I hope for: to succeed in my work here this year, to one day fall in love, to one day have a family, to one day choose the niche where I most belong. Then there are the more global miracles to wish for--peace, the healing of our environment, the healing of our global economy, using the power of technology to fix what we have broken, just to name a few. But like anything else in life, it is not enough just to hope, you have to work for the miracles you want. The people in the days of the Maccabees didn't simply hope to change things or that the oil would last, they made real sacrifices and once winning the Temple back, they worked hard to churn out oil as fast as they could, to reclaim their holy space, and to give thanks for each of the triumphs and miracles as they came.

Here are a few examples of ways that people I have met have reminded me that this can be the time for proactive change if you work for it: A religious girl I work with at one of the moadoniyot says each year she prays before the candles with all her might across the eight days. As the candlelight grows and grows each evening she says she gets more and more strength and fulfillment. She prays until they burn out each night and tries to harness the strength of the light for her personal journey. Another friend told me that the period of nes during Hanukah always inspires him to try something new, something he wouldn't have necessarily done before. Each year that he's pushed himself to do something different, he says he has learned something new about himself. It doesn't have to be anything big, it can be as simple as testing out a new food or saying hi to that person you always pass by in the hall but never have spoken to before. Lastly, a woman I work with told me that the time leading up to Hanukah is the time she uses to reflect on all the small miracles of her life and then think of what she can do for others. She leaves little envelopes of coins on park benches and hopes that a deserving person will find it. She packs herself some extra food for lunch and searches for someone in need to share it with during her lunch break. She leaves little anonymous, inspirational notes on peoples' desks and in their coat pockets for them to find later on.

All these little acts are miracles of themselves. One is through the miracle of prayer, one is through the miracle of self-reflection and improvement, and one is the miracle of small forms of tzedakah. It is up to each of us to decide which type of miracle most speaks to us. During this holiday season, may we all reflect on how we can give thanks for all of the miracles of our own lives and how we can add to the miracles of others.

Hanukah, Oh Hanukah

One of the most exciting things about being is Israel is living the Jewish year. Everywhere I go lately, the smell of sufganiyot fills the air. There are chocolate sufganiyot, the original jelly sufganiyot, powdered coconut sufganiyot, and whipped cream sufganiyot. I sound a little like Bubba, but it's true, the choices are endless. There are tons of Hanukah parties and events happening all over every major city. There's Hanukah vacation, and we're working on Christmas. And there are the Hanukiot. I'll keep collecting and posting Hanukiot and other sites as I see them, so come back to check out all eight days:

 Preparing for Hanukah 

 Hanukiot being sold near Ben Yehuda. Turns out the artist just made aliyah one month ago and already has a studio and gallery. Also, she happens to know a good childhood friend of mine that also made aliyah around the same time that I arrived. She has beautiful things and is very sweet!

 Above is a huge, blinking Chanukiah in the school lobby in Gilo, where I went to participate in a Hanukah and Goodbye Party. On my way out, I saw that some kids had been hard at work setting up some special celebratory decorations. There was also an art display set up by some of the students in the school. Each candle had a different message on it.

When I was leaving the school, I happened to look up onto the roof of the music center and there was another Chanukiah on the roof, waiting to be lit. 

Erev Hanukah 

A Chanukiah painted on the wall near the Bakka Moadonit (after-school program) that I work at. It actually only has seven candle holders but I still count it.

On my walk home down Aza I saw another Chanukiah by one of the most delicious hummus places in Jerusalem. 

Hanukah, 1st Night

Our neighbors were lighting their Chanukiah across the way at the same time we were. I tried to get a good shot but it was too far away. There was a lot of swaying, singing, jumping, and smiling across the way. 

 

Our collection

We decided to have an impromptu Hanukah party for the first night. On our way to the supermarket to buy applesauce, eggs, and gelt, we saw another. 

Next to the supermarket, I saw a beautiful Chanukiah shimmering from someone's window. 

 

We were swimming in sufganiyot.

The whole apartment filled with the smell of oil. We didn't have a food processor or blender, so did some research on using an old fashion grater. When googling the pros and cons of grating vs. processing I came across a fascinating conversation stream about the status of kashrut if blood is included in the recipe (because, of course, it inevitably drips from the cuts one gets from the grater). One person commented that a latke isn't a latke without the blood. Another person explained the intricacies of law that prove it would still be kosher. Others talked about putting potatoes in water to keep them from browning and one had the idea of boiling them so that it's easier to grate. Maybe we should all rethink our favorite latke recipes! (Here are some unique ones)

Meanwhile, we collected dreidles to add to our collection of gelt. I got really excited when instead of reading nun, gimmel, hey, shin (for "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham") it had a pei for "po," or here. A great miracle happened HERE.

 Hanukah, Day 2


Today I went to one of the moadoniyot to decorate Chanukiyot with the kids. On my way there, I saw plenty of others on the streets.

Hanukiot hung from street poles and were propped up by fountains, squares, and buildings.

 There was even one on a car. One could only guess as to why. I wished I had time to stick around and see!

 

We lit candles together once again in our apartment on the second night and sang some Hanukah songs on guitar. One of the Chunakiot was an oil lamp.  

 Hanukah, Day 3

The next day, all of the JSC Israel fellows went to Beersheva to visit the Center for Independent Living (CIL) that Orly, one of the fellows from last year who stayed longer for a few months, worked at this past year. It was an inspirational place where people with disabilities in Israel are given all the support and help they need to fight for their equal rights and services they deserve. 

But the place is more than that: Dalyia, the woman who founded the restaurant next door and who built up this CIL center (the second one in Israel, and a beacon of example across the country), works hard to help people with disabilities to believe in themselves and accomplish things they never thought they would. She trains them and fights for the greater outside society to accept them. She also is very close to the Bedouin community that is right nearby and has done a lot of incredibly hard and inspirational work on their behalf. It was truly an honor to visit them. We lit candles with the staff of the Center for Young Adults of Beersheva and then had a delicious meal in a beautiful tent that houses "Inca," the restaurant that has its home right next to the CIL center. The flower-decorated log on the top right was designed and made by people who live in the center. All of the murals and paintings in the background were also done by those who work there.

Last night, I came home to the Kibbutz and Saba (my grandfather). We lit candles and sang Ma'oz Tzur (click here for an interesting version) and Nimla, the incredible Sri Lankan woman who takes care of my grandfather, surprised us with latkes! We ate while watching my Savta's (grandmother's) Chanukiah glow. 

 Hanukah, Day 4


I unfortunately forgot my camera so the only picture I have from today is a poor mobile upload, but nonetheless it helps to tell the story. Today I got a taste of the kibbutz Hanukah, one more along the lines of what I've always been used to. The kibbutz (mainly the children, including my cousin's two little cutsie-tutsies) put on what I would call a Hanukapalooza. First they did a great techno dance, followed by the lighting of the Chanukiah (pictured here). Then there was a sing-along of different Hanukah songs. After that, was the cutest presentation of a story about miracles, told using a projection screen that showed beautiful backdrops that flipped like pages of a book, and then the kids in costume acted out the story from behind the screen so that all you could see was their silhouettes. It was really magical. 

Then I went with my Saba, cousin, and the cutsies to celebrate the oldest tutsie's 9th birthday and my Aunt's birthday, whose age I will not reveal, but will say that the digits of her age add up to the tutsie's. My cousins, their cousins, aunts, uncles, their mothers, my Saba and I began the evening in front of a burning fireplace sipping delicious cinnamon spiked sangria they call "punch." It's something they have frequently this time of year and a smell and taste I've come to associate with Hanukah. The birthday girls lit the Hanukiah together and then my cousin (the little one's mother) and her cousin played flute and guitar and we all sang together. Then came the opening of birthday gifts, followed by an incredibly delicious dinner. My uncle, the chef, never fails to impress, and today he outdid himself. The evening was filled with laughter, incredible food, and was capped off by chocolate fondue with all sorts of fruits to pick and choose. Needless to say, day four is my favorite so far.



Hanukah, Day 5

 Hanukah festivities kicked off in a slight drizzle at the playground on the kibbutz. There was a "Hanukah Sameach" (Happy Hanukah) sign of fire (left) and an awesome dance with lights by the children, including my cousin's two girls and lanterns the kids made (below)

After eating special Hanukah fried gooey veggie balls, me and Saba lit the Chanukiah and sang the prayers while skyping with my parents back home.



Here we are singing together. The fifth night is also my brother's Hebrew birthday but he wasn't home. Instead he was on a flight to Thailand. A poor life he leads... :)

I think the design of this Chanukiah is a little problematic. This keeps happening each night! Ima didn't seem to mind, though. 

 Almost time to go to sleep...

Hanukah, Day 6

After spending Shabbat with Saba on the kibbutz, I went with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her two daughters (pictured left) up north to visit another cousin. We had a beautiful drive and then settled in for a delicious dinner of latkes, both sweet (apple) and savory (potato). But nothing happened until we lit the candles for the sixth night. The two girls took turns, lighting three candles each.

 Hanukah, Day 7

The next day, following a delicious breakfast, we went hiking to go daffodil and crane sighting. 


Here is a beautiful, rusted bridge that went over the Jordan River. My uncle explained to me that we were in the "finger" on the top of Israel's map.  

There was incredibly vivid yellow moss growing on the trees. 

Cranes have migrated here for years, but more recently there has been quite an influx. They were eating crop and causing general destruction so farmers solved the problem by choosing one place to feed them, and there they were. We got so close we could almost touch them. There are no words for such beauty.  (For all of the pictures from the trip, go here)

Later that evening, I saw a very creative Chanukiah at the entrance to the restaurant. It as so nice when the entire restaurant got up to light a second Chanukiah inside.

There was another Chanukiah on the side of the road on the way back home. Obviously I wasn't able to capture it, but still thought it made for an interesting picture. And that brought an end to the seventh day. Hanukah is almost over...

The Last Day

 

It's so wonderful to go to work and see this. 

On the eighth night we lit Chanukiot together once again in our apartment and sang all the verses of Maoz Tzur. 

Happy Hanukah Everyone!!!