A whole month in an underground bomb shelter, or even just a day visiting one, can do strange things to your sense of humor.
Through the organization Brit Olam (http://www.britolam.org/ ), I volunteered with three friends, Daniel, Laura and Sarit, to visit the northern communities of Merom Ha Galil and Tsfat and bring the children in the shelters some smiles and fun activities. Through their initiative “Summer Camp on Wheels,” Brit Olam, has been organizing groups of volunteers to drive to the north every day for several weeks, bringing cases of books, games, art supplies and activities for children. Every day more volunteers show up at their office to make the trek. The emotional stamina and collective sense of responsibility of this country remind me why I want to be a part of it all the time.
The drive up to the north was, as always, gorgeous. There were moments when we were talking and laughing, momentarily forgetting our purpose, as if we were just three friends on a holiday, on the way to hike the Carmel or to swim in the Kinneret. But as we passed Yokneam and the convoys of army vehicles on the road our purpose quickly returned to our minds.
As we drove into the first community, Kfar Hananiya, children were playing on the street in front of the communal shelter. When they saw our car, they immediately ran over to it. We opened the windows and before we could ask them anything they bombarded us with questions. “What did you bring us?” “Where are you from?” “Will you play games with us?” These children had been visited by volunteers earlier in the week and knew what to expect.
We parked, lead them into the shelter where a couple of female teacher-soldiers were supervising the smaller children, and we began a stretching and yoga activity where they made different animal poses. Next, I pulled face paints out of my bag and I asked who wanted me to paint a rainbow, a heart, a butterfly or a snail, on their face. The kids loved the face paint and for an hour or two, they felt like they were at a carnival, like Purim, and that staying in the shelter was like playing make-believe.
The next shelters we visited were in Safed and the children were overjoyed to see us. The siren sounded twice while we were inside playing games and we heard some booms of falling Katyushas in the distance, but the older children gave the younger children hugs to comfort them. They were so good to each other. In all my time teaching Upper East Side kindergarteners, I never saw such kindness and caring as among the 4- and 5-year-olds in the Safed shelters. I guess a whole month in an underground bomb shelter can also do things to a child’s maturity and sensitivity.
Yes it was risky to go and volunteer in the North. No, of course I didn’t tell my parents, nor will I when I go again. But as I read on a bumper sticker on a car parked outside the Safed shelter, “One life. Live it well.” To live it well means taking risks, big or small, for a greater purpose. As we drove back to Tel Aviv at 11 p.m. last night, exhausted from having visited a total of six shelters, it was clear to us that the benefits of our visit far outweighed the risks.
To the original article in The Jewish Week, click here
To see more of Brit Olam's activities in the North of Israel, click here
