'Thoughts on Community Service " by Marcia Bercov
During CAARI's stay in Tel Aviv, people in the group
volunteer in variety of jobs and places.

Some work in a rehab or active treatment hospital, while
most go to elementary schools to help students with their English skills. The schools vary from religious to more
secular, but most are located in more economically disadvantaged areas of the
city.
Having volunteered in a three different schools over the
years, I can say that the kids are lots of fun to meet, and all of them have
interesting stories to tell about themselves.
Some come from immigrant families, some native Israelis, they have
sisters and brothers, dogs or cats, take music lessons or play on sports teams,
and most of them like pizza!

About three years ago, the Community Service program
expanded to include the Tel Aviv Botanical Garden, on the campus of Tel Aviv University, which was my choice last year
and this one. Three or four members of
our group take a cab to the Garden on Community Service mornings, and return in
time for lunch.
The cab ride is an experience in itself! Israeli roads are narrower, some times a
single lane on a major route, and the cars mostly compact in size. But the drivers want to get to their
destination fast, so they dodge in and out, being careful to respect the ever
present city buses. Then there are the
motorcycles to add to the mix. Our
drivers have amazingly quick reflexes.
Once at the Garden, the volunteers meet the staff at the
Seed Room. The Curator, Tal, usually
organizes our activities for the morning, often with some time in the Seed Room
to start.
No comments:
Post a Comment