Shnat Netzer - Update 9

Dear parents, shnattim and snifim shalom rav!

A stormy week here in Israel, where the winter is not quite sure if it is supposed to be here or not! The week started with heavy rains though now it is sunny.

Last Thursday I was invited by the Etgarniks for dinner. Even though it was a week ago, I can not leave it out of this report! What a treat! Only a few Etgarniks were around, and made delicious food! We started with adamamee, continued with salmon fish, rice, and salad and finished with chocolate. The atmosphere was really nice, and it gave me a chance to hear more from the shnattim about their time, and share some thoughts of my own. Toda!

This week, Etagr visited the Ayalon institution, as part of their Zionism class, learning about the Youth activism in the very first years of Israel's existence. To read more about it: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/ayalon.html. On Tuesday, they had a super- interesting session with Patrick Amar about advocacy methods in university campuses around the world. On Wednesday they visited the Israel Museum- http://www.english.imjnet.org.il/HTMLs/Home.aspx . This week they started learning about Kabala- we wish them much enjoyment and hope they take a lot out of this.

The Machonikim had a successful "Shabbat Machon", with a cool communal service!  Also this week they got to the Temple Mount and to the Christian Quarter.

On Tuesday we all came together at Machon this time, to discuss Tikkun Olam. This was a peer- led Yom Tnua run by the shnattim, who talked about our believes and actions and sent all on a Tikkun Scavenger Hunt!

Tomorrow, Friday, the whole group is going to a Shabbat Beyachad in Tel- Aviv, together with the Reform Pre- Army year program, which is again, planned by the participants themselves.

We wish you and us a great Shabbat!

Lior and the Netzer staff

corine sheratte- Etgar

Shalom!

This personally, has been a very busy week for me as i and a fellow etgarnik Hannah Confino have been madrichim shvui (leaders of the week). This challenging job has made me really see how much organisation and creativity it takes to produce such an exhilerating program like Shnat netzer. So, just before i tell you all about our week this week, i would just like to say thankyou to all those involved 'behind the scenes' to make it all happen.

Tov, this rainy and cold week opened with Dina Pinner teaching us about Contemporary issues from a Reform perspective. We then learnt about Kehila with our madricha Sarah Fassberg and which areas of our flat are communal and personal and how we should behave in our communal areas and personal areas to become a wholesome community. i certainly feel that that session has made a positive difference to our community in the Etgar flat. After a break we had hebrew lessons which, as usual for the majority, went very well! Zionism with Mark Lazar followed after lunch and then the flat finished the day at about 5.00pm when we all relaxed and enjoyed a nice film together. Monday, the day started with Sharon Wagner where two etgarniks, Jeremy Taylor and Josh Brown presented us with a Peula on human trafficking which stuck in most of our minds, and thus, we all decided to communally watch the film 'Taken' that same evening about human trafficking (a film i REALLY recommend). During monday afternoon, Mark Lazar took us on a Zionism Siyur in a kibbutz an hour bus ride away in Rehovot. The kibbutz has turned into a museum about bullets and how they illegally made bullets underground during the 2nd world war. it was very interesting as our guide called Yuval was extremely passionate about such a historical and heroic kibbutz. in the evening, Hannah and I constructed a productive and speedy asefa which, to be honest, left both of us completely drained. Tuesday, we all woke up rested and started the day cleaning the flat, and then had our hebrew lessons. Later on tuesday, Patrick Amar came to teach to us about Actualia and Hasbara and showed us a video about the university Concordia in Canada and the strong division between the Jews and the Palestinians. it was a shocking video which made us all realise the reality of such divided opinion in the world.  Later we had yom tnua with machon at kiriat where they live and experienced a pro-active tikkum olam session led by Sarah Grabiner, Jonny Singer and Danniella Persaud. i peronally loved it.

Today, we all took taxis to the Israel Museum and then came home and slept. Tomorow morning, Hannah and I have organised an exciting morning for Hannah Luder's birthday by waking up at 4.30am and watching sunrise together.

This weekend we have a shabbat beyached with mechinat yaffo in tel aviv which we are all very excited about.

Ok, I hope all is good in America and England, your children are all amazing individuals :)

Corine Sheratte, dedicated Etgarnik

Jonny Stimmler- Machon

For the first 3 days of the week Jerusalem became particularly similar to London during early November, COLD, WET, & WINDY. It came as a shock to some of us who had nearly forgotten that weather could be that depressing.

Last weekend was the Machone Shabbat, on Friday evening we went round to our teachers for Shabbat diner, I was fortunate to be placed with Zionist teacher Steve Israel.   On Saturday we had a very communal Shabbat experience which it was clear a lot of work had gone into, in order that it was as fantastic as it was.

Yesterday on Jerusalem Journeys, the select few who go on in depth tours of Jerusalem and the surrounding area where treated to Arabic coffee, cookies and one of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen.  The sky seemed to be on fire with a mix of oranges, yellows, reds and blacks.

This weekend we have a Shabbat b’yahad with the Mechina, an Israeli pre-army programme, for which we will be going to Jaffa.

Click here to read last week's update