Shalom to all!
I thought that every now and then we could send out some news to our friends and carers, so here is a first one. Please feel free to comment. Thanks to Sarah Torrey who wrote it:
Our new library at the Jewish Agency Hadassah Neurim Youth Village is a busy place. Two volunteers are working there each day to help the children with their quests. A professional librarian will soon be joining us to make things even smoother.
Homework help is available in the evenings, and there are ten computers to further assist the kids. Mendi, our high school principal, has a class in the library every Wednesday evening for the highest grade, where 15 to 20 kids learn about politics.
Galit Blocq, 22, from Amsterdam, is one of the volunteers. She has been in Israel three months, and studies in an Ulpan, but she has learned a lot of Ivrit from the kids who come to the library. Galit also helps madricha Revital with her mishpachton, a little family of 15 kids, assisting with the cooking and generally helping out.
Samantha Walter, 18, a volunteer from Koln, Germany, has been in Israel only three months, and also learned her Ivrit from the children who use the library. Apart from her library duties, Samantha is busy with other projects. She leads a very popular Salsa dance group for 20 to 25 kids, who began with line dancing, but are now so good, Samantha says, you would never believe they were beginners only a short while ago. She has a background in dance and loves inspiring the kids. When she's not in the libary, or dancing with the children, Samantha does translations for Nachum, our director. She is fluent in German, English and Spanish.
Both volunteers enjoy working here. The children are friendly, and the library is a cheerful place. The next phase of development of the library, a second floor renovation for a study hall, equipped with music listening devices, light and sound systems, newspapers and quiet places to do homework or a lecture will be available, as well as a projector for films and slides.
More to do, more to do!