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Published: September 16th 2008
Josh’s Educational Blog
Hey everybody. Ma Koreh?(What’s up?) I hope everyones summer has been very enjoyable and that everyone got a chance to relax and play, and get ready for the upcoming year. I’ve been working really hard for my chanichim(students/kids) making sure that everything is put together before they come to Israel for the year. Well, I’m a bit late on the blog. I have had bad internet problems here so getting this thing started has been a really difficult task. But HERE IT IS:
For all those who care, I wanted to put together an educational blog for everyone in the U.S., either friends or family, and for individuals interested in looking at Young Judaea’s Year Course which is sponsored by Hadassah, the largest womens organization in the world. I also wanted to include synagogues who can look at this website and interest young Jewish Americans or international jews who are interested in studying abroad for the year in Israel with some alternative thinking. For those who know me, they know I think a lot about the future, and I dabble in all forms of arts activities. I wanted to use this blog as a demo
for a show on the travel channel, showing that I could hold down camera time, and have fun, and be informative. But really, to make some cash and travel the world!
I bet your all wondering what EXACTLY I’m doing here in Israel. I told many of you that I’m teaching dance. This is true, but it is in fact far from the work that I have been preparing for. I am a Madrich (a counselor/mentor/supervisor/dad) for thirty-two kids. All the chanichim are eighteen years old, and all chose to take a year and spend it in Israel studying. I am in charge of the performing arts, visual arts, and fashion design programs in Holon, Israel. I live twenty minutes south of Tel Aviv, which is on the Mediterranean sea. Aside from the special programs, the chaninchim are placed in Holon to volunteer in the community. As a Madrich, I am to monitor the chanichim and make sure their basic needs are met. As well as make sure that they are in good mental health, and physical health. Meaning, they are getting along with each other (there are six, even seven to an apartment). They are showing up
One of the parks
There is an area in Holon called The City of Children. The area consists of six different parks which are based off of children's stories. That way when kids read the stories, they can come to the park and live within the story. Pretty cool huh. I forget the name of this park. I'll find out.for their classes and volunteer placements on time, and that they are spending their money wisely and are making a connection to the people in the community and enjoying their life in Israel. I am to guide them emotionally and spiritually to develop easy answers to the problems they will face in the future, and if not develop that way of thinking, make sure they are aware of who they are and what they are experiencing. Also, the Madrichim (plural) plan informal activities twice a week for the chanichim. We do weekly sikkum(conclusion of the week), Israel update(update about the current situation), and plan optional evening activities. This is the area in which I will be teaching my dance classes. I am to discipline the chanichim when ever necessary for any amount of reason.
Twice a week I visit the apartments and make sure they are living healthy. Making sure they take out the trash, they’re cleaning the floors, they have food and fruit in the refrigerator, ext… This is also time for me to meet with them on a personal level and do some activities or some educational learning as an apartment as within a smaller group
of Chanichim.
As part of the staff in Holon, Israel we are in charge of community volunteering in the neighborhood. Many will be volunteering in schools, alter-abled, immigrants, children, high schools, and many more. It is important for the students to live in apartments within the neighborhood and experience daily living while volunteering in the community. What the program tries to create is a lifestyle of giving to others while gaining a meaningful experience. This is an excellent way for every student to gain experience working in a poorer area while being completely immersed in the culture. Holon is an area which is mostly immigrated by Ethiopians and Russians. This is extremely difficult sometimes because chanichim may feel they are not making an impact teaching English to four year olds and the staff is hear to make sure they understand their impact and effects of what they are doing is something that will benefit the community in the future.
There are many activities we have planned for the chanichim on these special tracks, and must I say I am very excited to be a part of this wonderful experience with these students.
Visual Arts- The visual
arts program has some wonderful classes. Sophia Berry studied art at Biet Berel Art college and is a born Israeli citizen. She has been sent to Australia and United States for her art and photography experience through the Jewish Agency in Israel. Sophia heads the educational framework for high schools in the area and teaches text workshops to students from all over the world.
Tali Hill was London raised and is our Graphic Art and Design teacher. She studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and found her skills in animation, illustration, and photography. After getting her 1st class BA with honors in 2000 she began her work as a CGI animator, working with commercials and directors, music videos and short films. She has won various awards for her illustration and animation and resides in Israel after making Aliyah last year.
Orna Glass has worked with alter-abled education, mental health, war veterans, young mothers and is the students Art Therapy teacher. She owns a private practice teaching at Beit- Berl College and a Phototherapy program in Musrara school of photography in Jerusalem.
As a Visual Arts program they will be going to dinner at Nalaga’at Theater. Nalaga’at is
Park
This particular story talks about Gnomes. Israel’s first blind/deaf theater company. The audience dines in the restaurant in blackout before the performance. Israeli celebrity chef, Nir Tzuk makes the expensive meals the students will be enjoying. All the staff is blind, including the waiters, and the actors are either deaf or blind. Another experience planned for this semester is meeting one of Israel’s leading painters, Jossef Krispel, who has a gallery at Gordon Gallery in Tel Aviv. For more information about Jossef check out his website at www.krispel.info.
The students will be apart of the B’Sheckel festival next month with is aimed on bringing together communities and social enhancement. The festival brings top musical arts and acts to the scene making this event a must in Israeli culture. The festival encourages social and cultural change within the community. Best yet, this festival is only one sheckel or a few cents above a American quarter, for everyone! Students will go to Hanger Adama for Sukkot in Mitzpe-Ramon and are invited to dance, relax, breathe, and participate in art, fashion, dance, movement, self-reflecting workshops, and relax even more in the breathe taking desert canyon.
Fashion Design- The Fashion program has other wonderful Israeli teachers. Diana
Shai Ornan
One of the male madrichim for Holon. Brody went to Parsons school of Design in NYC and received her BFA in Fashion Design. She has been a designer in New York, specializing in contemporary women’s wear. Diana’s skilled training has lead her into working with collage, which sell around the country. She works with Olinka clothing line and is represented by Meitsag Gallery in Tel Aviv. Check out her blog at www.dianabrody.blogspot.com.
Another very special item to this program is The Guild Design School. Odelia Lavie is a graduate of Theatre: Desgin for the Performance Department of Central Saint Martins College in London, England. She has worked with Israeli film and television as an art director, set dresser, model maker, and props maker. The Guild will also provide many workshops with various arts and other teachers. Another teacher Nina, I don’t know her last name, studied at the London school of Fashion and specializes in leather design in footwear and accessories.
Performing Arts- I have misplaced my information for this program. Please be patient and I will retrieve it for you.
Some classes and teachers overlap for all three programs. I will bring more information regarding semester activities and information for PA, and Fashion
Missing one, we love you Yaara!
Three out of the four madrichim for Holon.
Shai Ornan
Josh Landis
Danielle Chaimowitz
Yaara Tabor (not pictured) Design.
The Chanichim are having a wonderful time here. The first week is over, and we are on to our second week. The fashion students had their first day at The Guild with Nina. They worked with cutting leather with knives and went through the beginning understanding to the different machines in the design school. They practiced using a flat bed sewing machine, as well as a post sewing machine which is used for 3D design such as accessories and hats. The post sewing machine is a lot more complicated stitching machine, but has an optional manual leaver for doing very difficult stitch work. They learned how to skive on a skiving machine which thins leather corners if the artist is looking for a rounded edge and not a raw leather cut. From the skiving machine they went to their last area at the folding station which takes the skived leather and is folded by applying glue to the skived area and pounded together on a marble surface with a hammer to fold the leather.
The Arts programs went through their art therapy and learned how to connect ideas of Israel to eachother by creating a
Gan Hertzl
The three madrichim being clowns. work of art and finding a connection forward into the future. The exercise was to give the students goal objectives in an artistic way to understand the year they are up against and what they can do while they are here for the year to make a difference. Visual Arts began their drawing classes with Tali, they worked on basic drawing exercises with pastels and different techniques.
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