Taking Absorption to the People

The Lion-Hearted of Arad

Concentrating on creation in the Arad Crafts Workshop.

Over 75 Selah students and members of the local Lions Club sat together, painstakingly stringing beads, painting, and assembling mobiles at a craft workshop in Arad. For the second year running, the Arad Lions have adopted the young FSU immigrants participating in the year-long academic Selah program at the Arad Absorption Center. The group has taken jeep trips in the desert, feasted out-doors on Latin American barbeque, celebrated holidays together, and enjoyed a light evening of board games. "All of these activities entail minimal language skills with maximum enjoyment," says Avishai Faitel, Director of the Arad Absorption Center, and reports on numerous cases in which members of the Lions Club have assisted in job placements for students, particularly those in the chef or technology tracks."

A Match Made in Haifa

Participants in the computer literacy course in the Aba Hushi Absorption Center.

"We began by asking new immigrants, both those residing in the Absorption Center, and those scattered around the city, how we could help them," says Asia Chairsky, Haifa Region Babait Bayahad coordinator. "The overwhelming reply was continuing education. I have many volunteers, both Israeli-born and veteran immigrants, who are eager to give of their time and talents. This was a perfect match.

"We opened up an ad-hoc night school in the Aba Hushi Absorption Center. Currently we are running twelve courses including Hebrew, English, Jewish history in Russian, cooking in easy Hebrew, and a lecture series for immigrants by experts in fields such as banking, driving and health. The phone company, Bezeq, has sent groups of volunteers to run basic computer literacy courses. The positive response from both veterans and newcomers leads me to believe that this project will blossom into something even bigger."

Group Interaction

Michel Halimi, Ashdod Babait Bayahad coordinator, insists on prefacing his remarks with thanks to the Beit Canada Absorption Center staff.

Immigrants and Israelis dance together in a Babait Bayahad Hanukah party.

"It is as if there are five Babait Bayahad coordinators in Ashdod, not just one, because every staff member in Beit Canada actively promotes and facilitates the work of the program. We have been particularly successful with the group model; we have two French, two Spanish, a Russian, and three Hebrew-speaking groups. Each group is comprised of approximately 25 individuals, and within each group we have mentoring families and immigrant families. The immigrants live either in the Absorption Center or in apartments in the area. Participating in group activities such as lectures, trips or meals tends to break the ice and ensure a good start to a relationship.

Pre-Aliyah Groundwork

Oleg and Olga Milnikov escorted their Israeli friend Ehud Etgar into the Altschul Absorption Center in Beer Sheva for a Babait Bayahad Hanukah party. The Milnikovs, an economist and software engineer, made aliyah only two months before from Russia.

Ehud helps Olga fill out a form.

While still preparing for aliyah, an emissary had asked them if they were interested in Babait Bayahad. The questionnaire they filled out was forwarded to Beer Sheva coordinator, Ana Mizirtzky.

A few days after their aliyah this past October, Ana approached the couple, and discussed ways in which they could be part of the program. They agreed to meet Ehud, an engineer with whom they could communicate in English. The chemistry was immediate.

Ehud soon found an afternoon job for Olga, who is still studying at an ulpan. The Milnikovs and Ehud spend many Friday evenings together. Ehud has introduced the couple to his friends, and the ripples of contacts widens.