On our last
day in Israel, we decided to do something different. For the majority of our
trip, we had been going around Israel and exploring, but not really interacting
with different people and getting to see their daily lives. But this was our chance
to volunteer and really give back to the people of Israel. We had spent the
night in Tel Aviv, and we were on our way to volunteer in South Tel Aviv with
some kids. South Tel Aviv is the rundown part of the city, many of its
residents are refugees from Eritrea and Sudan. After our short bus ride, we got
to the day care. Immediately, there was a large group of children who crowded
around the door to see us. One of the women who worked there told us we would
each get a child to look after and play with at the park. After we each got a
kid, we walked the short distance to the park, singing and playing games the
entire time. When we got to the park, the real fun started. We went swinging,
played with balloons, and had an overall great time. Once we said goodbye to
the kids, we went to Shuk Carmel in Tel Aviv for some lunch and last minute
shopping. The shuk was so amazing. Vendors there were selling everything from
t-shirts and elephant pants, to fresh fruit and smoothies.
For our
closing activity, we went back to the hotel. At the hotel we all sat in a
circle and has two cups, one filled with Coke, and the other filled with a
strawberry-banana drink. The two drinks represented the sweet and the sour of
our trip. After each person said their memories, they took a drink. Many funny
and touching memories were shared after our three weeks there. We also each got
a piece of paper, and got to draw what the trip meant to us on it. When all the
pieces were put together, they made the flag of Israel. This was to remember
that all of us made the ISS so fantastic and if one single piece was missing,
it wouldn’t be the same. We then drove to Jaffa for our last meal. On the way
there we passed the restaurant that the Chicagoans ate at on our first night in
Israel. This provided a sweet reminder of how far we had come. After dinner, we
headed to the airport. Once there, we said goodbye to our amazing bus driver,
Brent, and our wonderful tour guide, Maya. We had our tearful goodbyes with the
Israelis, and soon, we were on a plane back home.
- --Melinda Berman
No comments:
Post a Comment