Kehillah 2007 Updates

July 22nd, 2007 - Home Hospitality Info and Shabbat in the Golan

Dear Nesiya Parents and Friends,

Before I update you about your children's adventures over the weekend, I hope to answer many of the questions you've asked about home hospitality with the information below. The update follows this information.

Information about Home Hospitality

This upcoming weekend is the Home Hospitality Shabbat, when your children will see another side of Israel by spending time in an Israeli home. There have been several questions raised regarding this weekend, so I am going to explain a bit about the structure and logistics.

The children will be with their hosts from Friday morning, July 27 through Sunday morning, July 29.

By now, most of your children have been in touch with the families where they are planning to stay. Several of the participants are planning to spend the weekend in the home of one of their Israeli peers from the Nesiya program. By the middle of this week a Nesiya staff member will contact each of the hosts to confirm the visit with them and to explain the transportation and security guidelines for the weekend.

Based on all the different locations where your children will be staying, we will plan a private bus route that will stop at several central points throughout Israel, where the hosts will be able to pick up your children. If a host is unable to get to the pick-up point, then a Nesiya counselor will put your child in a private taxi (fare to be covered by the participant or host, as per their private arrangement), which will take them directly to the host. Sunday morning, a bus will pick up the children from the same locations when they were dropped off, and will take them to the group meeting points.

We have written a number of security guidelines for the Home Hospitality Weekend, which each host is obligated to follow. All of the adult hosts will sign a form indicating that they are committing themselves (and their children) to the guidelines for the entire weekend. The guidelines explain that the children are not allowed to travel by public transportation, they are not allowed to cross the green line (unless you give prior permission), and they are not allowed to visit any crowded public places that don't have security; we stand ready to advise participants about the specifics to these rules.

Additionally, we will explain to the hosts that the health insurance we’ve purchased for the children applies throughout the weekend. Your children will all receive a health insurance card to carry with them. Should you hear from your children during the weekend about a health concern, please remind them about the insurance card and instruct them to call the Nesiya senior staff (participants will receive a list of emergency phone numbers).

Since you have all already signed the home hospitality permission form (which indicates that you give your child permission to visit the homes of the families you listed or of an Israeli participant), the only additional permission we would need from you would be if your child decides to spend the weekend with a family who is not listed on the original form you gave us and not connected to Nesiya. We will also need a special waiver if your child is planning to spend the weekend with a family who lives across the 'green line' (the line is actually drawn in maroon on this map) / 1967 borders of Israel. We will be in touch with you if your child falls into these categories.

Although there are many guidelines and logistical details, we’ve found that the weekend is one of the highlights for the North American participants. It’s a special opportunity for them to experience authentic Israeli culture, as well as to take a small break from the intensity of group living.

If you have any further questions or concerns about the Home Hospitality Weekend, please do not hesitate to email me.

Golan Heights Update

Since I last wrote, the three groups reunited and reached the Golan Heights. The groups ended last week by concluding their community service projects and spending time exploring the Golan Heights, learning about the political and historical milieu of the area. They visited Gamla, known as the 'Masada of the north,' where they toured the ruins of a Jewish city from the Roman period, and Har Ben Tal, a viewpoint from which they were able to see the borders between Israel, Syria and Lebanon.

Shabbat was spent in the Har Hermon Field School in the Golan. The groups continued to unravel the current theme of community through a series of activities that explored some of the challenges and choices Jews face in pursuing a shared purpose and in creating a shared framework of life together. For example, the Shabbat morning creative text study focused on the story of the two and a half tribes in the Book of Numbers who negotiate with Moses for permission to live outside the land of Israel. This morning session invited participants to reflect on the values that they feel personally obligate them as Jews, and on the mutual obligations that can or should unite North American and Israeli Jews.

Each group participated in a different afternoon activity. Kehillah One explored 'Before the Law,' a parable by Franz Kafka, and spoke about the feelings of being an insider and an outsider. Kehillah Two held a group discussion about their community service project and talked about North American versus Israeli attitudes toward service. Kehillah Three conducted four small group discussions about topics selected by the counselor-educators, including attitudes toward intimate relationships, global warming, the 'battle of the sexes,' and sleep, dreams and fears. Saturday night each group gathered to prepare for the upcoming Ehud Banai concert this Wedneday night (more on that to come!).

Today the groups began two days of art workshop activities based on the theme of "individual" and "community." Participants chose from among six arts workshop options (including visual arts, writing, theater, music, movement and voice or photography) or could choose an overnight hike in the Golan. The descriptions of the workshops are attached. The workshop projects will be presented tomorrow morning, before the groups begin their preparation for and observance of Tisba B'av.

If you are fasting on Tuesday, I wish you a meaningful fast.
 

Warmly,
Mollie