Bereshit: In the Beginning…

I came to Israel to volunteer because I strongly believe that living and helping out in south Tel Aviv will change me forever and allow me to connect with people who have a lot to give to the world if only they were given a chance. I have always wanted to do something positive in Israel that would help me to learn and grow as well. So here I am.

South Tel Aviv is not like the more glamorous north: it is home to thousands of asylum seekers from Sudan, Eritrea and portions of sub-Saharan Africa. Since the second intifada, it has also been inhabited by a large amount of foreign workers (mainly from southeast Asia). To me, this is the real Tel Aviv, the real Israel – one hears a lot less English in the streets than in Jerusalem or north Tel Aviv and the area where I live (Kiryat Shalom) is inhabited by many recent immigrants from the former USSR.

I live in an apartment with several other volunteers. Of our group, there are people from Cuba, Russia, Brazil, the UK and all over the U.S. I see this eclecticism as a strength. There are quite a few different perspectives and I’m looking forward to getting to know these people over the next five months.

The first month of my program consists of several tours of volunteering sites and hours on end of Hebrew class (ulpan). I took four semesters of Hebrew in college and studied it in religious school. Nonetheless, Hebrew is not an easy language and I am excited by the challenge of improving my vocabulary here.

For the first weekend, we stayed on Kibbutz Gal On (near Beer Sheva). The Kibbutz was GORGEOUS and actually is a working dairy farm.

Cattle on Kibbutz Gal On

The kibbutz is also home to “Mike and Sharon’s Bistro” – quite possibly the most amazing restaurant I have ever been fortunate enough to visit in Israel. Mike and Sharon are a couple from South Africa originally who serve up the most amazing foods. Every meal was accompanied by tea with fresh herbs.

My complements to the chef!

Later on in the weekend, we went on a hike in the Beit Guvrin caves. I’d been there before and loved visiting this place (mentioned in the Bible), which is home to many historically important archaeological ruins.

In a cave at Beit Guvrin

Ancient caves, however, are not what I came here to see. I write this post from Tel Aviv, a city of modern high rises and modern issues in a modern country grappling with very real challenges. I would be lying if I said I’m not nervous about what’s to come, but I know that I’m ready for it.