Renana's+I-Face+Project

toc =__Rationale:__=

When I first heard of the "Israel Faces" project we were assigned I got really excited. I understood that I finally had the opportunity to explore the life of a person whom I really admire. If I would have chosen one person who could represent Israel it would be my sister. My sister Dvorah at age of 16 went to volunteer in a community as a B'nei Akiva counselor, and now is serving in the Israeli army for almost three years. My "I Faces" project is about the experiences she had during those periods of time.

I hope I will learn a lot from this project and hope you will too.

=__Interview Questions:__=


 * 1) Why did you decide to specifically become a counselor in Yishi?
 * 2) What were you goals before you started?
 * 3) What were your expectations of yourself and of the community/B'nai Akiva branch?
 * 4) What did an evening in Yishi look like? Describe.
 * 5) What challenges do you remember dealing with?
 * 6) How did you overcome them?
 * 7) Did you achieve any of the goals that you set before you started?
 * 8) Looking back on the time you spent there would you say it was a positive experience? Why?
 * 9) Why did you decide to go to the army and not to Sherut L'eumi?
 * 10) How ere your first few weeks in the army? Was it hard?
 * 11) How did you cope with the training?
 * 12) Could you say that the training influenced your work in the army?
 * 13) What was your job in the army? What did you do?
 * 14) Were you happy with that job?
 * 15) After a while in the army you were sent to the officers training course. Why did you agree to go?
 * 16) After the course you were reassigned to a different job. Are you happy with that job?
 * 17) What difficulties did you encounter?
 * 18) How did you cope with them?
 * 19) After 2 years and 9 months in the army do you feel it was the right choice?
 * 20) Do you have a message you would want to pass on to girls who are debating to go into the army?

Thank you for the interview. I enjoyed it very much.

= =

__Yishi__

 * 1) Different population. Interesting to work with people that you are not used to. Intriguing to work in a place were B'nai Akiva isn't something obvious; different conditions.
 * 2) Goals. I didn't have any specific goals. I first needed to get to know the place and the people.
 * 3) I expected to like and enjoy the place and the people. I hoped to make a difference and to learn a lot.
 * 4) A lot of noise and fun play with the younger kids, including soccer, football, the playground, and hanging out with the older kids. Sometimes we gathered around our kids to present an activity, but this didn't always work. We usually ended the evening at someone's house with some good food and lots of laughter.
 * 5) Students that didn't want to participate, finding things that would interest them enough. Sometimes there would also be violence.
 * 6) You get to know them and find the right way to approach them and how to control the situation.
 * 7) It's a hard thing to know. After all, it is education and is something that can't be measured.
 * 8) I definitely learned a lot. Today I am still in touch with some of my students and their families. I enjoy going back to visit. I think things have improved for them and for me. I have a different perspective on life.

= =

__The Army__

 * 1) It intrigued me to join the IDF. It is something every Israeli does and I think it is important for me as an Israeli woman to do the same.
 * 2) Because I was with my friends from Bruria. It was much easier them for other new recruits. There was a religious atmosphere that also made it easier, especially on Shabbat.
 * 3) Training was easy and fun. I knew many of the girls from Bruria.
 * 4) A little bit. Most of the work you learn on the job.
 * 5) I was a teacher. I taught Hebrew to new immigrants during their basic training.
 * 6) It was very challenging and sometimes complicated to be a commander and teach Hebrew. These were two jobs that were new to me. I loved the soldiers and I learned a lot.
 * 7) I knew that being an officer would give me a chance to influence a larger number of soldiers. I knew that the challenge would be great. A lot of opportunities would open up for me.
 * 8) The re-assignment was optional. I made the decision to move. I had had enough of working with new recruits and was looking for a different atmosphere.
 * 9) In my job I am supposed to be a role model who can provide answers and offer an experienced point of view. It took me a while to get to that point.
 * 10) A lot of time, asking the right questions and being at the right place when needed.
 * 11) Definitely. I've learned so many things about education, Israeli society, religion and culture. All things that I wouldn't have learned in a different setting.
 * 12) It not right for everyone. You have to go for the right reasons. You must come open-minded, yet very strong in your beliefs.

=__Profile:__=

From my point of view: My sister, Dvorah Geldman, in my eyes has one of the most amazing personalities in the world. She is a generous, kind, and loving person. My family had a big influence on the decisions in her life, and helped her at tough times. She lives in Efrat and has been living here all her life. Efrat is a religious community In Gush Etzion. I think it is one of many reasons she grew up and came to be who she is today.

From Dvorah’s point of view: I was born and raised in Israel, I’m 100% convinced if I would live in a different country or even community I would be a totally different person.

I learned in Orot Etzion for eight years of elementary school and in Neve Chana high school for four years. In the middle of 10th grade I decided to become a B'nei Akiva counselor in the community of Yishi that is a five-minute drive from the city of Beit Shemesh. When I was younger I attended the Ezra youth group, me being there from 3rd grade had a big influents on my choice of becoming a counselor. What motivated me to become a counselor specifically in Yishi was that the community is made up mostly of immigrants from Yemen. It is a different kind of community from that in which I grew up. It was interesting to work with people that are different from me. Another reason was because some people would not expect there to be a B'nei Akiva branch in a community like Yishi. It is an intriguing place and you work in different conditions. At first I didn't have very specific ideas of what I wanted to accomplish. I needed to get to know the people first in order to understand their needs. My expectations were that my being there would influence the youth, and make a difference in the community. It also allow me to learn a lot. I hoped to enjoy the place and the people during my time there.

I would spend a lot of time there, mostly Tuesdays, and every other week I would be there for Shabbat. Tuesdays at Yishi were hard but fun. The younger kids would play soccer, football, and go to the playground, with the older kids I would usually talk. Sometimes we would gather our kids to present an activity, but this didn't always work out. At the end of the day we usually ended up at someone's house with some good food and lots of laughter.

Being there sounds very nice and easy but I also had lots of challenges and difficulties. For example, during the activity I would have kids that wouldn't listen to me. It was hard finding material that would interest them enough. There were even times when some of the kids would get violent. Those were the most difficult times. At the beginning it was much harder, but after a while I got to know them and after spending more time there I would learn how to contend with the bad situations.

I have to say that after two years in Yishi I learned a lot. I feel that I did have an influence on some of the people there. Even today I am in touch with some of the families. I enjoy going back to visit. I have to say that they had a big impact on my life. They changed my view of life.

When I finished 12th grade I went to learn at "Midreshet Bruria." After a year I joined the IDF. I think It is something every Israeli should do and I think it is important for me as an Israeli woman to do the same. Before I joined the army I thought it would be very hard, but because I was with my friends from "Midreshet Bruria" it was much easier. My first job in the army was instructor. I would teach Hebrew to new immigrants during their basic training. The job was very challenging; being both a commander and a Hebrew teacher, these were two jobs that were very new to me. After a year in the army I decided to become an officer. I knew that being an officer would give me a chance to influence a larger number of soldiers. The challenge was greater, but it opened a lot of doors for me. It was difficult being an officer. You are supposed to be a role model who is supposed to provide the answers and have an experience point of view. It took me a while to get used to this. Now looking back I am very glad I took the job it was the right move.

My army service, which lasted for two years and nine month, is something I wouldn't change for anything. I've learned so many things about education, Israeli society, religion and culture from all over the world. Now when I understand what the army requires I understand that the army in not right for everyone. Each one should find there skills and help others who who are in need. They have to serve for the right reasons. You must come open-minded, yet be very strong in your beliefs in order to give and to get.

=**__Background Article:__**= Yishi is a small moshav that was built by the "Hapoel HaMizrachi" foundation. The name Yishi comes from the Bible/ Tehilim/27.

It is a small agricultural community in the Judean Hills a five minute drive from the town of Beit Shemesh. Yishi was established in the years 1948-1950 by new immigrants (olim) who came from Yemen. Till this day the culture didn't really change, most of the families come from the Yemenite community.

The moshav specializes in growing organic foods. In the past most of their income was from growing and selling avocados, livestock, and other things that grow in the fields. Today most of the families in the moshav don't work as farmers. Most of them rent out apartments. A lot of them also work outside of the community (in Beit Shemesh or Jerusalem). I n the moshav they have a private pool and a pet farm.

__WHAT IS A MOSHAV?__ moshav is a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farmers crreated by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah(wave of Jewish immigration during the early 20th century). The moshavim are similar to kibbutzim with an emphasis on community labor. They were designed as part of the Zionist state-building program following the Yishuv ("Jewish settlement") during the British Mandate of Palestine in the 19th century. Contrary to the collective kibbutzim, farms in a moshav tend to be individually owned but of fixed and equal size. Workers produce crops and goods on their properties through individual and/or pooled labor and resources. The profit and foodstuffs are used by themselves. Support of the community is done through a special tax. This tax is equal for all households, thus creating a system where good farmers are better off than bad ones. This is unlike the communal kibbutzim where all members enjoy the same living standard. Moshavim are governed by an elected council. Many moshavim still exist today.

Sources: [|www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshav] [|www.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A2%D7%99]