PITTSBURGH VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE IN CARMIEL-MISGAV
by Suzan Mazer

with Misgav Youth Counselors

I was lucky enough to have just returned from a month's visit to Israel. My journey was divided into three segments. First as part of a Neshote Hadassah delegation, second as a volunteer in the Carmiel-Misgav Region and third as a person visiting relatives and friends. I will concentrate here and outline my second segment.

Volunteering is a special way to see the country. Home hospitality was provided, but since I have both family and friends all over the country, I stayed with my cousins. I do find that this is an important part of the visit. It is not one that puts you up in a 5***** hotel with the fifty platter breakfasts, but rather one that involves talking to real people. While I was there, the Columbia crashed; the love and concern for their friend, brother and comrade Col. Ilan Ramon was astonishing and heart warming. It brought to light how really small and personal this country is. There wasn't just an article on the front page of the paper or a few minutes on the news, this was the news! It was pages and pages of the paper, and hours on the tv and radio. I witnessed the love and warmth extended to his family and to each other. While attending an after school program at Moadon Kefli Aviv, I helped assemble a memorial to Ramon. These kids are mentally handicapped and not shut out of the world, instead they are brought into the world and they shared the country's grief.

Both Pitchon Lev, the food bank, and Salachat Hadasha, the soup kitchen, left me with the feeling that I was helping. I tested my Hebrew skills; knowing Russian would have been an added plus. The volunteers who worked at both are dedicated, upbeat and kind.

holding Ilan Ramon memorial placard prepared by children at afternoon center

One morning included being picked up at 6:40 to go to an Army base. They pampered us with coffee first, a break and lunch. Our jobs included testing connecting wires to see if they were vital, cleaning and taking apart and reassembling simple electronic elements. Our jobs were not difficult, but ones that were tedious and time consuming. With us aiding in this simple manner, someone else's time was freed up. The morning we were there, there was a little party, 15 minutes at most, for a soldier finishing her commitment. One of the young soldiers, brought us a bowl of "bumba"... just to say enjoy and thank you. That was a really sweet thing to do. I looked at this army, they are kids. Maybe all armies are, I have never spent time on an American base, but these kids were kids! And kids from different places. Two girls were telling each other something and laughing and speaking Russian. They then turned to their other comrads and spoke in Hebrew. This is truly a country of multicultures.

Though we didn't have the opportunity to work at Kishoret, visiting there was a special treat; for me in particular, as I had hosted Avi and Kobie while they visited in Pittsburgh. They were both very proud of where they live and what they do, and wanted me to go with them to visit their families. Unfortunately, time restraints limited some of my ability to do everything I would have liked. Guess next visit will have to be for 2 months.

Our evening with Doron, the police officer of Beit Jann was fascinating. Not only did we travel up the mountain to the Druz village, we met and enjoyed an evening with Noif Khold and his family in their home. We sampled many fruits and vegetables and drank coffee. The home is arranged differently than an American home. The living room was huge with couches extending the entire length and width of the walls. His children kept coming in, and the questions and answers were enjoyed by all. To top off the evening, from 22:30 to 1:00 I went on civil guard patrol. This has become a new way of having an extra set of eyes and ears for the community. The Jerusalem Post ran a big article on this new craze. In Israel, no one has to feel old and useless. There are plenty of ways to volunteer and feel like you count and you are important. My little bit of contributing helped me feel useful. I was not just another visitor, not someone with my nose in the air, but someone with my feet on the ground; living, working and getting to know the people of Israel, the people who are my family. The people with whom I have this undeniable bond that spans oceans and biological ties.

I am now home, and have been speaking to people on an individual basis and now have started on a "speaker's tour" telling of my ventures in Israel.

Adar Aleph 5763 - March 2003