Ani Zocher:
Pilgrims' Stories

Etgar 2004,
by Jen Abrams, SWUSY

Etgar has an opportunity unlike any other. While spending our time in Yerucham, an impoverished development town in the southern Negev, we planned a “Happening” or event. The Happening was an opportunity for the children in Yerucham to experience a fun afternoon of activities, including face painting, games, balloon animals, dance and much more.

We spent several hours planning the stations and making huge posters that were displayed in the town. With our creativity exhausted and paint splattered all over us, we were at last prepared for the event.

Finally it was a Wednesday afternoon and time for our long awaited "Happening". Shaina and I were in charge of the Rikud, dance booth. I learned four Hebrew words so I could more easily explain the electric slide to these kids, yemin, smol, achora and kacha, left, right, backwards and like this. We did that repetitive dance for three hours straight! Two girls, Esther and Hila, who we had met earlier in the week, spent most of their time at the Happening at our booth. They liked us so much that they made signs in one of the booths that said our names; the best part was that Shaina’s name was changed to Shania. I'll never forget how tired and exhilarated I was after those three hours of dancing around and watching the smiles on those girl's, and the other children's faces.

If you have any interest in social action, hiking or seeing the side of Israel you don’t see on the average tourist trip, I highly suggest this unique trip... Yay! Go on Etgar!

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