"Kefiada 2004" welcomed eight young dynamos to the Arad-Tamar region of Partnership 2000 during July this year.
Kefiada is a longstanding program of the Jewish Agency- "Fun" in Hebrew is the name of the program where American counselors come to Israel to teach campers in Israel English. This year Arad-Tamar was fortunate to welcome eight counselors from six Federations of New Jersey and Delaware. For the first time, two counselors participated in the Kefiada program in Kibbutz Ein Gedi and taught English in the desert paradise.
Let's Meet the Wonderful Group!
Dahlia and Alexa Galler - two sisters from Atlantic Cape May County of New Jersey. The Galler sisters are part of a very active family who are involved in Partnership 2000 and have contributed to the region in many ways. Dahlia and Alexa were wonderful additions to the Kefiada, always smiling and treating their campers to an abundance of warmth and caring.
Alexa had this to say about their experience; "I really enjoyed myself in Arad and we met wonderful people, made good friends and hung out with extraordinary children. The program truly exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend Kefiada to everyone. Arad is a special city, I learned a lot about Israel, her culture, people, and history, and of course, I learned a lot about myself. It was a great way to spend my summer, thanks!"
Dahlia added: "My trip to Arad has been an amazing experience. I have been to Israel a few times before but never have I developed such a strong connection with Israelis and Israel like this time. Even though we live across the world from each other, I feel as if Arad is my neighbor!"
Nathan Cohen - A 22 year old student from Delaware. For Nathan, this was his first visit to Israel, and spoke no Hebrew at all! Nathan was a quiet, happy counselor who taught the kids English and learned some Hebrew along the way! We hope that this small taste of Israel will open his appetite to future visits.
Elana Groeschler - Elana hails from Monmouth County New Jersey. For Elana this was certainly not a first time visit but certainly a new experience for her, being in the small town of Arad. Elana's traditional values enriched the lives of the Kefiada campers and counselors.
Shanee Helfer - Shanee of Middlesex New Jersey was born in Israel. Shanee was our American/Israeli blessing! Her fluency in both languages and her fun, open nature enriched the campers of the Kefiada of Arad. Shanee made a lasting impression on all of us!
Shanee's impressions of the experience; "My month long stay in Arad was a life experience that I could not have found anywhere else in the world. Being able to work with I Israelis and live with immigrants from all over the world brought so much to how I view Israel as a state and Israelis as a nation. It gave me the most realistic vision of what Israel has become in the last fifty years, as well as all that she hopes to become.
Megan Sobel - Megan of Cherry Hill New Jersey has visited Israel several times and has been an active member of Partnership 2000. Megan's warm, vivacious personality was infectious! Her never-ending smiling face warmed the hearts of the campers and counselors alike!
Aaron Silver and Yisrael Horowitz - Aaron Silver is from Vineland, New Jersey and Yissi Horowitz is from Elizabeth, New Jersey. They spent their 3 weeks in the Kibbutz Ein- Gedi paradise! Aaron and Yissi spent their days with the children of the Kibbutz and in the evenings all the families of the kibbutz with their warm hospitality embraced them.
Aaron stated, "This was my first trip to Israel. I guess I didn't really know what to expect. I was very anxious and nervous about the trip because I spoke no Hebrew whatsoever. As it turns out, this was never a problem. I arrived in Ein Gedi and was pleasantly surprised by its amazing beauty. It is safe to say that I have never seen anything quite like it in my life. I believe there is such a thing as "paradise", it is here in Ein Gedi. The people on the Kibbutz are the best!"
Yissi added, "While this trip isn't my first to Israel, it was my first experience volunteering, as well as my first time in Ein Gedi. The month of July 2004 was by far the greatest time of my life, liking it to paradise a.k.a. Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which is across the road from the Dead Sea. Along with meeting tons of interesting people, working with cute kids and going on fun trips, I would highly recommend this program to anyone who enjoys children and the land of Israel."
The Kefiada counselors brought a lot of "pizzazz" to our region. During the days, they enriched the lives of our campers with games and songs. In the afternoons, the counselors, along with Tair Zaeh, their chaperone, enjoyed various activities and trips in the area. The counselors were embraced by the people of Arad and Ein Gedi and welcomed into their homes and hearts.
If you wish to be a part of this wonderful program, please contact your local Federations, as we would like to begin recruiting for next summer in the near future.
The Kefiada program was developed to enrich the lives of all the partner communities and create new, solid bonds for the future.