On July 5th we all said goodbye as we parted to go to our separate options. I chose community service. The service was coordinated through an organization called, The Livnot Project. Part of what the Livnot Project does, is arrange for people from various trips to come and help rebuild certain “projects” which Livnot is trying to reincarnate. When the bus dropped the ten of us off, we learned that we were staying right across from a “Yeminite” restaurant. We had all enjoyed the food there when we visited Tzfat earlier on the trip. During our stay, there were many trips made to the restaurant, and we all made friends with the cook.
While in Tzfat with the Livnot program we painted a school, helped at a retirement home, helped build a park, and we painted a mural. Staying with Livnot and doing services around the city gave us all a real sense of community. At Livnot, everyone has to pitch in. Each morning someone had to volunteer to cook breakfast, and everyone would help to set tables and bring food to the group. We couldn’t eat until everyone was at the table. Then, we would say betayavone –bon apetite– and everyone would dig in.
On our first day, we went on a four hour hike. Our guide told us it was “more like a walk in the shade.” So, naturally we were surprised as we went on one of the longer and more vigorous hikes of the trip. The hike also happened to be directly under the lovely mid-day sun. Even though the hike was much harder than expected, everyone felt a sense of accomplishment. Because the everlasting which we had just endured made us tired, lunch was devoured quickly and very much appreciated.
On the second day, we went to a retirement home and did little things to improve their community. I painted the curb around their gardens outside of their rooms. Although this “little thing” seemed insignificant, it made their little yards look much brighter.
After we finished, we went inside to meet the folks who live there. Honestly, I was not looking forward to this because none of them spoke English, and people at a retirement home are not always exciting to talk to. However, when I got there, I was surprised to hear that the residents all had interesting stories to tell. One woman moved to Israel in 1922! The guide was able to translate for a few people. Two of the residents actually spoke Spanish, so we were able to talk to each other a little bit.
When we left, everyone said “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” “Toda raba!” One woman said that we get younger every time we visit. Another woman said she feels more alive. We had really brightened everyone’s day, and we hadn’t done anything. We were just there. It felt very good and it made me want to stay, or to come back one day.
After we left the old-folks home, we went to a place where Livnot was renovating an area of Tzfat into a park. Using buckets, we carried sand and gravel from one place in the park to another. Then we used the gravel, rocks, and sand to make cement to pave the sides of the walkway. It seemed insignificant, but we learned that every bit of work counts. Even though we did not make the biggest dent, we were part of something that was bigger than ourselves, and did our part in building this park. We did a little bit, and groups before us did a little bit, and groups after us will do a little bit more, and together, as a community, we will have helped make a park for the community in Israel.
The three days we spent together in Tzfat gave me a greater feeling of connection with Israel. A warm feeling of making a positive difference lingered with me as we loaded onto the busses to reunite with the rest of the ISTers. As the bus jolted to a start, I hoped I would always be able to remember that feeling, and how easy and important it is to do every little thing you can to help out. In the end, every little bit counts. Even if you only contribute a small part, without that small part the entire project would not be complete.
