Mevareset Tzion/Mea Shearim

We were fortunate today to get a tour of the Ethiopian resettlement village at Mevareset Tzion. We were led by Dani Mor, Yossie and Sylvie's daughter and Saul Mindel's granddaughter. She is vice president for educational funding at The Jewish Agency. Here over a thousand recent Ethiopian olim are learning to live in Israel. They are learning a new life, really. They have no idea about such basics as the use of plumbing. They need to learn to speak and read Hebrew. Although they speak Amharic, they are illiterate. Here they are first taught to read their native language and then Hebrew. Instruction ranges from simple life skills to acceptable child discipline. In Ethiopia, families are adult centered. It is acceptable to hit children when they misbehave. Now they learn to use communication skills with them.
In the village, there is a hut just like back in Africa. It is used for meetings and is there to give the people a feeling of home.

The children receive instruction in language as well as help with academic skills. They also get religious instruction from local volunteers. Here is a young lady praying shacharit.

The children are so charming that you can't help but love them. Here I am with two new friends.

They really do not have much beyond the basic necessities. Of course they are far better off here than back in Africa. We were entertained by some kindergarteners. Their teacher accompanied their singing on a recorder. There is not a piano in the entire village. She promised to reward the best singer with a balloon. I noticed, for example, an unprotected electircal outlet in the classroom, something we would never see in the States. I thought about what a simple and life saving project it would be to supply the village with those little plastic plugs that are so common back home.

The project is working well. The new olim are getting educated and becoming part of Israeli society with decent jobs. Recently the first physician was graduated and there are already a number of attornies.

After this, we went shopping in Mea Shearim. This is a neighborhood of very religious Jews. There are lots of little shops with some bargains if you know where to look. What a busy place.

Here I am with another new friend.

It seemed like every other store sold sephorim (books). I could not help but notice that if this were an American street in a busy commercial area, every other business would be a bar. There were none in sight at all.
Sadly, this is our last night in Israel. Roz leaves mid-day on Tuesday and I am flying in the early hours of Wednesday. We shared a meal at El Gaucho and walked back to the apartment to start packing.