Ariel Cohen-A Summer In Israel

Ariel Cohen spent the summer, 2014, in Israel taking Hebrew and participating with the Yahel Onward Israel Social Justice Program. This volunteering service learning initiative aims to achieve local change and promote a greater understanding of...

Ariel Cohen (Class of 2015) is a history major. In order to complete her ARHU Global Engagement requirement, she spent the summer, 2014, in Israel taking Hebrew and participating with the Yahel Onward Israel Social Justice Program. This volunteering service learning initiative aims to achieve local change and promote a greater understanding of pressing issues within Israeli society.

The program places volunteers in various locations throughout Israel. During the six week duration, she participated with the NGO Yedid, which focuses on civil and economic justice and whose main topics are housing and unemployment issues. Ariel was also placed in a local “gan,” a school for the children (ages 4-6) of asylum seekers, refugees, and foreign workers who come from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and the Philippines. “My work at the Gan helped me put a face to the 47,000 asylum seekers” in Israel. It also gave her the opportunity to practice her Hebrew since none of the students spoke any English. There were several times when the children would actually tutor her and correct her grammar!

Ariel says that “Overall, it was an amazing opportunity to see a part of Israel you don’t get to see as a tourist, simultaneously working on policy issues and with children who are affected by the policies . . .the summer gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in Israeli culture, learn about their society, work, contribute and really live within the people. I felt a great sense of belonging in this community.”

Here is a link to Ariel’s video about her experience if you would like to see more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwK5ZY2LPQ8&feature=youtu.be