Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Personal Encounters


Dear parents and friends,

This morning, after a great night rejuvenating at the Meridien Hotel in Haifa, the Satell Teen Fellows visited Yemin Orde, a youth village for Jewish high school students from various countries. Upon arrival, we met with Susan Weijel, who introduced us to Yemin Orde’s history and philosophy. We met kids our age from Ethiopia, Russia, Brazil, and more, who all moved to Israel to find a better life. We were privileged to connect with the students and hear all about their journeys and life experiences. We had a great morning with the kids, and we didn’t want to leave. We exchanged contact information and hope to stay in touch with them.

While at Yemin Orde, we met with and heard from professors and students from the University of Haifa. We engaged in an interesting conversation regarding the relationship between Israel and America, and the importance of unity and cultural exchange. It was fascinating to listen to all of the speakers’ sometimes divergent opinions.

In the afternoon, we drove to Netivot, Philadelphia’s sister city as a part of the Jewish Federation’s “Partnership 2000” program. In Netivot, which is in the Negev, we met with a group of teens from the region.  We got to know each other through a series of activities and games.  One fun game we played was “21 Questions”, in which one person has to guess an object which they are assigned to by asking ‘yes or no’ questions to the group.  Afterwards, we drove together to Bedouin tents further south.

At the Bedouin tents, we were welcomed with camel rides in the area. Then, we experienced Bedouin hospitality as we were served tea and coffee, and learned about Bedouin culture. We ate a traditional Bedouin dinner, sitting on pillows in a tent and sharing a lavish meal. We ended the night sleeping in tents alongside our new friends from Netivot, anticipating our early ascent up Masada the following morning.

- Liza Apothaker and Alex Degutis