Yom
Israel!
During
this year’s Yom Israel, the chanichim (campers)
woke up on the set of a fictional series called "The Real World Jerusalem".
“Hired” as the crew for the film shoot, the kids set off on a day full of
Israeli culture, food, and experiential education. Starting with a Jerusalem
carnival that gave kids the chance to dance in a Jerusalem nightclub and make
pita with a Bedouin over an open fire, the kids travelled through the city to
meet the main characters of the show, each of whom represented a different
contingent of Jerusalem’s multicultural landscape: a secular Jew and avid
Beitar Yerushalayim fan (Jerusalem’s local soccer team), an Orthodox Rabbi, a
young Jewish soldier, an Arab Muslim girl, an American tourist, and a member of
HaNoar Ha’Oved (Habonim Dror’s sister youth movement in Israel). Each character
introduced the chanichim to their Jerusalem, providing a glimpse into a city as
complicated and multi-faceted as its residents through games and activities
such as learning Arabic slang and Hebrew soccer cheers.
The
day turned more somber with a reenactment of the recent protests of Women of the
Wall, along with a projected video of the actual protests. The
characters went on to give chanichim their differing perspectives on two
central tensions in Israeli society, and particularly in Jerusalem – that
between religious and secular Jews, and that between Jews and Arabs. Each
kvutzah then wrote and presented their thoughts and hopes for Jerusalem,
creating a tekes (ceremony) at the pool – wishing for peace and equal rights for all,
accessible education, and the ability to express different forms of Judaism
freely. The day culminated in the creation of a beautiful mural of the
Jerusalem skyline.
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