Friday, August 3, 2012

Thursday, August 2 - We Share...We Learn...

For me, today started out a little hectic. I was on breakfast duty, which meant that I had to be in the dining hall early and I had to stay to clean up after.  Rushing through the morning routine, I came in to a hearty breakfast with plenty of toast and some delicious Israeli cuisine that I cannot even hope to spell. After that, the counselors and the enrichment team helped to lead the campers in a Tiguf; a.k.a. a drumming thing in which a person uses their bodies or some buckets to make music. It was really fun! Later the other Dillers had some Tiguf time as well.
Another highlight of the day was that the Dillers set up an American Day for our Ethiopian campers. With fun stations such as dance, tie-dying, football, s’mores made in a solar oven and trivia, the campers had a good time.  It was a fun way to share typical American culture with our campers, who all asked us if we knew Snooki from Jersey Shore personally.  It was almost like American summer camp, which was a totally different atmosphere than the campers were used to.     

Later in the day, the campers prepared an Erev Tarbut/Cultural Evening for us! Taught by the campers themselves, it was not to be fascinated and inspired by their knowledge of their ancestors’ country and their dedication and preparation in making every station. The Dillers learned about Ethiopian food, dance, traditional garb, hair braiding, and ceremonial coffee. And of course, who could forget the depiction of a traditional Ethiopian wedding re-enacted by the campers in traditional clothes. It was so wonderful to see the campers participate in something so meaningful to them; their faces as they spoke of their background and the pride they felt in being Ethiopian in Israel were alight with excitement as they earnestly explained the how and why of their unique culture as Ethiopian Jews.  As you can tell, all the Dillers and I were thrilled to participate in first running American Day, and then experiencing Erev  Tarbut . It was an evening filled of cultural exchanges and sharing, which, at the end of the day, is why we are here!

Good night! : )

-Sara Rosen

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