By Jean & Yale Kanter -Saint Paul, MN

Volunteered in the Engliyada projects in the Sovev Kinnere Region in May 2008

"We had the opportunity to exploit our teaching ability in an exciting challenging manner teaching English to Israelis eagerly desirous of learning to speak English.

After two weeks of unorthodox teaching, we received our reward.  We heard our students converse with each other in English -"lo  ivrit"... in a manner they could not do when they started the program.

Our students were from all walks of life and the age ranged from teen age to senior senior citizens.  This was the second time we accepted the challenge, the first being in 2005.  On the final Thursday of the session my (Yale's) students were asked to explain in English only what they were going to do for the Shabbat.  One very loquacious elderly student (Rachel) talked about everything she was going to bake and cook for her grandchildren in a manner that we could almost taste each item.

The next student when asked what he was going to do, replied, "Me, I go to Rachel's for Shabbat," and then after we stopped laughing he continued on with what he was planning with his family.  Jean had some interesting moments in her class.  Students brought photos of their family and family events to share with students during a lesson on family relationships and learning English terminology.  One mother-in-law became  elated, she now knew what to call her son's wife.

The students arranged for an Israel 60th birthday party and learned how to make invitations with the proper content of an invitation, including the RSVP process.  One student actually did RSVP, calling to tell she was coming.

On Yom Hatzmuot we had the pleasure to renew an aquaintance in Jerusalem with a "product" of the Jewish Agency  that we housed 26 years ago in Saint Paul when she partook as a teenager in a summer camp program at the Jewish Community Center of Saint Paul.  How we were able to make contact 26 years later is in itself a story of fate. 

It was a delight to see how she had matured into a beautiful responsible adult, a mother of two children, and an industrious science professor.  We met her on the street in the middle of the block and walked arm in arm with her to where  her brother lives in Jerusalem and there met the rest of her family.  Lo and behold one of her brothers was Yale's Engliyada 2008 student.  It really is a small world after all."