Answers from Wisconsin

Our friends from Wisconsin answered our questions in a comment, but I am copying it here so that everyone can see it. Please send us a picture of your class so that we can put it into the blog! Your teacher can email it to janicef@jfriesen.net.

Those are some great questions - the class talked about the answers and here's what they said...

Michlin wants to know:

• Which day is the best day of the week for you and why? 
• Sometimes classes are boring here. Do you enjoy all of your classes?

1.  Students like Fridays and Saturdays - Fridays because it's the last day of school for the week, they know the weekend is coming, they can stay up late, and some families have pizza and movie night; - Saturdays because there is no school, they can stay up late and sleep late, they can stay in their pajamas (PJs) all day, and they can hang out their their friends

2. They said sometimes classes are boring but other times they like them - lots of discussion on this question!

George wants to know:

• What time do you eat meals?
• We can't travel freely. We cannot go to Jerusalem, which is only 1/2 hour away. Do you have freedom to travel where you want?

1. During a school week, most eat breakfast at home around 7:00, lunch at school between 11:30-12:30, and dinner at home between 5:30-7:00

2. They can travel wherever they want in the US; to go to other countries they need a passport

Henriette wants to know:

• How many classes do you have each day?
• Do you have a kitchen at your school?

1. These 9-11 year olds have reading, writing, spelling, math, science, and social studies classes; in addition they have classes we call "specials" - music, art, physical education, library, and French or Spanish

2. We do not have kitchens in our two elementary schools; however there are kitchens in the middle school and high school where lunch is prepared for students who want to purchase it there

Khader wants to know:

• What time do you go to school and what time do you come home?
• Do you have the right to choose what classes you want to take (freedom to learn what you are  or do you have to study specific things?

1. Students start school at either 8:05 or 8:15 and finish at either 3:05 or 8:15 depending on which of our two elementary schools they attend

2. They do not have a choice of what to study in elementary school except to choose if they want to be in band or orchestra; they do have choices in middle and high school but do need to take a certain number of academic courses to graduate

Danny wants to know:

• What rights do children have if something bad happens at home? 
• What do you do for fun outside of school?

1. If something happened, they would tell their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, or church leaders

2. They like to do lots of different things: video games, bocce, soccer, American football, tennis, swimming, baseball, ice hockey, la crosse, reading, playing with friends

We have been thinking of more questions to ask you so will post them here tomorrow or the next day. The computer in our summer school classroom had a virus today so we hope it get fixed soon!

Answers from Wisconsin

Our friends from Wisconsin answered our questions in a comment, but I am copying it here so that everyone can see it. Please send us a picture of your class so that we can put it into the blog! Your teacher can email it to janicef@jfriesen.net.

Those are some great questions - the class talked about the answers and here's what they said...

Michlin wants to know:

• Which day is the best day of the week for you and why? 
• Sometimes classes are boring here. Do you enjoy all of your classes?

1.  Students like Fridays and Saturdays - Fridays because it's the last day of school for the week, they know the weekend is coming, they can stay up late, and some families have pizza and movie night; - Saturdays because there is no school, they can stay up late and sleep late, they can stay in their pajamas (PJs) all day, and they can hang out their their friends

2. They said sometimes classes are boring but other times they like them - lots of discussion on this question!

George wants to know:

• What time do you eat meals?
• We can't travel freely. We cannot go to Jerusalem, which is only 1/2 hour away. Do you have freedom to travel where you want?

1. During a school week, most eat breakfast at home around 7:00, lunch at school between 11:30-12:30, and dinner at home between 5:30-7:00

2. They can travel wherever they want in the US; to go to other countries they need a passport

Henriette wants to know:

• How many classes do you have each day?
• Do you have a kitchen at your school?

1. These 9-11 year olds have reading, writing, spelling, math, science, and social studies classes; in addition they have classes we call "specials" - music, art, physical education, library, and French or Spanish

2. We do not have kitchens in our two elementary schools; however there are kitchens in the middle school and high school where lunch is prepared for students who want to purchase it there

Khader wants to know:

• What time do you go to school and what time do you come home?
• Do you have the right to choose what classes you want to take (freedom to learn what you are  or do you have to study specific things?

1. Students start school at either 8:05 or 8:15 and finish at either 3:05 or 8:15 depending on which of our two elementary schools they attend

2. They do not have a choice of what to study in elementary school except to choose if they want to be in band or orchestra; they do have choices in middle and high school but do need to take a certain number of academic courses to graduate

Danny wants to know:

• What rights do children have if something bad happens at home? 
• What do you do for fun outside of school?

1. If something happened, they would tell their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, or church leaders

2. They like to do lots of different things: video games, bocce, soccer, American football, tennis, swimming, baseball, ice hockey, la crosse, reading, playing with friends

We have been thinking of more questions to ask you so will post them here tomorrow or the next day. The computer in our summer school classroom had a virus today so we hope it get fixed soon!

Workdays

Sister Susie (who is my real sister!) asked some questions. Some of them are answered in the comments, but others I will put in the post so that more people see them. Here is her reaction to what the kids said about their school days: 

Those kids have a long day and only 30 minutes for lunch/recess. They have to work a lot harder than I did at that age. Do the adults work the same hours? 7:30 seems early. Do businesses open at 7:30 too?

I am so glad for my friends in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Except for their comments and questions so far this blog is a conversation between my sister and I! I hope more of you will think of questions and collaborate.

Workdays

Sister Susie (who is my real sister!) asked some questions. Some of them are answered in the comments, but others I will put in the post so that more people see them. Here is her reaction to what the kids said about their school days: 

Those kids have a long day and only 30 minutes for lunch/recess. They have to work a lot harder than I did at that age. Do the adults work the same hours? 7:30 seems early. Do businesses open at 7:30 too?

I am so glad for my friends in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Except for their comments and questions so far this blog is a conversation between my sister and I! I hope more of you will think of questions and collaborate.

Wi'am Children's Program

In the summer the children are out of school, but they do not have much to do. At the Wi'am Center they have a program for children where they do crafts and games and play together. These girls are some of the older ones. They are making a mosaic out of glass.

 They just put in some playground equipment and it is in constant use! Kids from the neighborhood even climb over their fence to get to it. So far they have not been able to put any sand or ground cover for safety under all of the equipment. They are hoping to find a grant or donation that will pay for it. I think like many non-profit organizations they are always needing donations to keep going.

Wi'am Children's Program

In the summer the children are out of school, but they do not have much to do. At the Wi'am Center they have a program for children where they do crafts and games and play together. These girls are some of the older ones. They are making a mosaic out of glass.

 They just put in some playground equipment and it is in constant use! Kids from the neighborhood even climb over their fence to get to it. So far they have not been able to put any sand or ground cover for safety under all of the equipment. They are hoping to find a grant or donation that will pay for it. I think like many non-profit organizations they are always needing donations to keep going.

What do I do on Sunday?

Today was my first Sunday here and since I am working with Christians and this is their day off. We worked a half day on Saturday.

Often when people think of Palestinians they think of Arabs and assume that they are Muslim. Palestinians are not all Muslim, in fact many of them are Christian. On Sunday at the Church of the Nativity several different groups worship. This morning I attended the Catholic Mass, but there is also a Greek Orthodox service and a room for tourists who want to have a service there.  Other churches that I know about are Lutherine, Evangelical and Maronite. About half of the population in Bethlehem is Christian, but it used to be a much higher number.

I am not Catholic and I do not understand Arabic, so I cannot tell for sure, but the Catholic Mass that I went to seemed pretty much the same as masses I have attended in the US.  There was a beautiful stained glass window in the church. The door to the church was extremely small. It is called the Door of Humility. It protected the church from people driving in with carts to loot and steal and also kept the most important people humble because they could not ride in with their horse.  You had to bend over to get in. 

I also had an illustration of how close Jerusalem really is. My husband, the professor, is staying in a hotel in Jerusalem with a group of scholars who are looking at archaeological sites. He called yesterday afternoon saying that he was only 15 minutes away! The problem is that in order to get into Bethlehem he had to find transportation that can cross the wall into the West Bank! He did find an Arab bus that took him to the wall, then he took a taxi from the wall to where I am staying. It took him an hour instead of 15 minutes, but it was great to see him. 

Tomorrow we will start learning Skype with the women and the kids will be starting their final videos!

What do I do on Sunday?

Today was my first Sunday here and since I am working with Christians and this is their day off. We worked a half day on Saturday.

Often when people think of Palestinians they think of Arabs and assume that they are Muslim. Palestinians are not all Muslim, in fact many of them are Christian. On Sunday at the Church of the Nativity several different groups worship. This morning I attended the Catholic Mass, but there is also a Greek Orthodox service and a room for tourists who want to have a service there.  Other churches that I know about are Lutherine, Evangelical and Maronite. About half of the population in Bethlehem is Christian, but it used to be a much higher number.

I am not Catholic and I do not understand Arabic, so I cannot tell for sure, but the Catholic Mass that I went to seemed pretty much the same as masses I have attended in the US.  There was a beautiful stained glass window in the church. The door to the church was extremely small. It is called the Door of Humility. It protected the church from people driving in with carts to loot and steal and also kept the most important people humble because they could not ride in with their horse.  You had to bend over to get in. 

I also had an illustration of how close Jerusalem really is. My husband, the professor, is staying in a hotel in Jerusalem with a group of scholars who are looking at archaeological sites. He called yesterday afternoon saying that he was only 15 minutes away! The problem is that in order to get into Bethlehem he had to find transportation that can cross the wall into the West Bank! He did find an Arab bus that took him to the wall, then he took a taxi from the wall to where I am staying. It took him an hour instead of 15 minutes, but it was great to see him. 

Tomorrow we will start learning Skype with the women and the kids will be starting their final videos!

Questions from Kids

After reading the questions from the kids in Wisconsin we have some questions here that we hope they can answer. Each person had more than one question, so we are going to send them a few at a time. They are very curious about how your lives are the same and different.

Their questions are in the same order of their pictures from left to right.

Michlin wants to know:

• Which day is the best day of the week for you and why? 
• Sometimes classes are boring here. Do you enjoy all of your classes?

George wants to know:

• What time do you eat meals?
• We can't travel freely. We cannot go to Jerusalem, which is only 1/2 hour away. Do you have freedom to travel where you want?

Henriette wants to know:

• How many classes do you have each day?
• Do you have a kitchen at your school?

Khader wants to know:

• What time do you go to school and what time do you come home?
• Do you have the right to choose what classes you want to take (freedom to learn what you are  or do you have to study specific things?

Danny wants to know:

• What rights do children have if something bad happens at home? 
• What do you do for fun outside of school?

The children here would love to have you come to visit and see the sights here.  They all have email accounts and some of them have Facebook accounts in case you want to be a friend.

Questions from Kids

After reading the questions from the kids in Wisconsin we have some questions here that we hope they can answer. Each person had more than one question, so we are going to send them a few at a time. They are very curious about how your lives are the same and different.

Their questions are in the same order of their pictures from left to right.

Michlin wants to know:

• Which day is the best day of the week for you and why? 
• Sometimes classes are boring here. Do you enjoy all of your classes?

George wants to know:

• What time do you eat meals?
• We can't travel freely. We cannot go to Jerusalem, which is only 1/2 hour away. Do you have freedom to travel where you want?

Henriette wants to know:

• How many classes do you have each day?
• Do you have a kitchen at your school?

Khader wants to know:

• What time do you go to school and what time do you come home?
• Do you have the right to choose what classes you want to take (freedom to learn what you are  or do you have to study specific things?

Danny wants to know:

• What rights do children have if something bad happens at home? 
• What do you do for fun outside of school?

The children here would love to have you come to visit and see the sights here.  They all have email accounts and some of them have Facebook accounts in case you want to be a friend.

Women's Computer Class

First I want to show you a calendar. Can you tell me what is wrong with this calender and why it is that way?  If you want to, write a comment under the blog with the answer!

Yesterday I started working with the Women's Group at Wi'am teaching computer. It is so much fun! Some of the women have never used a mouse and others have Facebook Accounts. Most of them have children who use computers easily and even have computers at home, but they do not know how to use them because no one will teach them. They laugh and talk so loud. They are very friendly.

Notice in the picture that women here do not wear traditional Palestinian clothes. They dress like we do. Some of them speak or understand a little English. I think that all of them now have email accounts and have signed up for Facebook! Their homework tonight is to become my friend on Facebook. 

The children are doing well with their videos. Today they practiced using MovieMaker. Tomorrow we will start planning their final videos. Tomorrow I will post their questions for the students in Wisconsin.

Today is Friday which is the Muslim Holy Day. This is a picture of a minaret. Today there is someone broadcasting a sermon from the minaret. We can hear him all over town. Tomorrow is the Holy Day for Jews (sabbath) and Sunday is the Holy Day for Christians.

Women's Computer Class

First I want to show you a calendar. Can you tell me what is wrong with this calender and why it is that way?  If you want to, write a comment under the blog with the answer!

Yesterday I started working with the Women's Group at Wi'am teaching computer. It is so much fun! Some of the women have never used a mouse and others have Facebook Accounts. Most of them have children who use computers easily and even have computers at home, but they do not know how to use them because no one will teach them. They laugh and talk so loud. They are very friendly.

Notice in the picture that women here do not wear traditional Palestinian clothes. They dress like we do. Some of them speak or understand a little English. I think that all of them now have email accounts and have signed up for Facebook! Their homework tonight is to become my friend on Facebook. 

The children are doing well with their videos. Today they practiced using MovieMaker. Tomorrow we will start planning their final videos. Tomorrow I will post their questions for the students in Wisconsin.

Today is Friday which is the Muslim Holy Day. This is a picture of a minaret. Today there is someone broadcasting a sermon from the minaret. We can hear him all over town. Tomorrow is the Holy Day for Jews (sabbath) and Sunday is the Holy Day for Christians.

Marriage in Palestine

IMPORTANT: CHECK FOR ANSWERS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE EARLIER POSTING!!  

One of the things that is changing in Palestinian society is how people meet and get married. I am staying with a woman close to my age who was married when she was 17!  She describes how when she was still in High School her current husband saw her in her father’s shop and liked her and wanted to marry her. He came to her father to ask for her hand in marriage (keep in mind that they had never talked) and the father told him to send some female relatives to meet her first. They came and she hid and would not come out. He did not give up and they came the next week and an agreement was made between the parents.

Then for a month he would come over and sit with the family in the evenings with her there (but she was too shy to say anything) and then in a month they were married and she was not a student anymore!  By age 22 she had 4 children! Now she says it is good because she is fairly young and can find herself and enjoy life.

Now it is somewhat different. She has 4 boys. All of them are married. She said that they did not consult her or her husband before finding who they wanted to marry. They each came after they had already decided to tell them that they were going to marry a certain person. They all got married in their early 20s. The family of the man is responsible for all of the expenses of the wedding and setting up a household. The couple must have an apartment and all of the furnishings. The man also pays for the bride having her hair done, the flowers and everything at the wedding. At the wedding everyone who attends donates money for the couple. This ends up paying for the wedding which might cost as much as $50,000 shekel. There are 4 shekels for one dollar, so you can figure out how much that is! 

Marriage in Palestine

IMPORTANT: CHECK FOR ANSWERS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE EARLIER POSTING!!  

One of the things that is changing in Palestinian society is how people meet and get married. I am staying with a woman close to my age who was married when she was 17!  She describes how when she was still in High School her current husband saw her in her father’s shop and liked her and wanted to marry her. He came to her father to ask for her hand in marriage (keep in mind that they had never talked) and the father told him to send some female relatives to meet her first. They came and she hid and would not come out. He did not give up and they came the next week and an agreement was made between the parents.

Then for a month he would come over and sit with the family in the evenings with her there (but she was too shy to say anything) and then in a month they were married and she was not a student anymore!  By age 22 she had 4 children! Now she says it is good because she is fairly young and can find herself and enjoy life.

Now it is somewhat different. She has 4 boys. All of them are married. She said that they did not consult her or her husband before finding who they wanted to marry. They each came after they had already decided to tell them that they were going to marry a certain person. They all got married in their early 20s. The family of the man is responsible for all of the expenses of the wedding and setting up a household. The couple must have an apartment and all of the furnishings. The man also pays for the bride having her hair done, the flowers and everything at the wedding. At the wedding everyone who attends donates money for the couple. This ends up paying for the wedding which might cost as much as $50,000 shekel. There are 4 shekels for one dollar, so you can figure out how much that is! 

Hospitality, A Recipe and Flip Video Cameras

It is hard to find time to write because everyone is so friendly. I am sitting at the Wi'am Center table and people keep stopping by and talking. I have so much to write about!! First of all I was so excited to hear from my friends in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. There is a summer school class there that sent me some interesting questions about school here.

How many hours do students go to school?

7 hours

 

When does school start?

at 7:30

What do they eat for lunch?

They do not have a cafeteria with tables. They just have a place where they can buy food. They have a recess of 30 minutes where they can buy food, play, or eat a sandwich they brought from home.

How many students are in a class?

 between 25 -30 students

What do children play at recess?

They only have 30 minutes which is enough time to eat. Sometimes they play chasing each other, basketball or soccer. Sometimes they eat really quickly or they don't eat and just play.  At 2:30-3:00 pm they go home from school and there is hot food prepared for them. They call this lunch, but it is more like our dinner. They eat again sometime in the evening. The evening meal is simpler.

Do they go on field trips?

They take one or two trips each year. When there is a field trip the whole school goes together (1st-6th grades together and then 7-12th grades together). They have gone to a park in Bethlehem, the zoo in Jerusalem, Jerico and Jeneen (there is a theme park there with roller coasters). Their field trips are just for playing.

What are the biggest differences between the schools and US schools?

the food

they have less recess time

they have 45 minutes for each lesson

starting in first grade they have different teachers for each subject

The kids wanted to talk more and had more questions for the kids in Wisconsin. We will be putting their questions in here tomorrow.

We started learning about using the Flip Video cameras yesterday. They all made small movies just to learn how to use them. I am putting some pictures in here of them using the cameras!

The main topic today is hospitality. People here are so generous and hospitable. Every time you stop into someone's home they bring you tea or coffee. They make you feel so welcome. Last night I went with two other women to a house of someone they had met. While we were sitting and visiting with the family, Giselle kept going into the kitchen and coming out with one or another thing for us to eat or drink. First it was lemonade, then salted peanuts, then a plate of fruit for each person, then little hot meat pies, then tea, then cookies. The little meat pies are hard to explain because I do not have a word for them. One kind looks like a tiny pizza (about two inches in diameter) topped with some mix of meat and spices, one was a triangle of dough made with herbs in the dough and the triangles were filled with cheese, the last one was another triangle of dough which had a different filling. I am not sure how to describe it. It is not only food though. You feel like you are very welcome and they laugh and talk and everyone enjoys one another. No one is in a big hurry, so they sit and talk.

It is a contrast to our American way where we are all so busy all of the time. 

Ruty in Hertzeliya was also very hospitable. She made cake and the halva candy and took us so many places. Here is the recipe for the Halva Candy:

Crackling candy 

Material size 20X27 cm format:
1 cup sesame seeds 

100g butter 

Half cup honey 

Half cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder 

Cup raw tahini 

5 cups Rice Krispies

100g of halva cut into chunks

Preparation: Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan while stirring, until golden. Remove bowl and set aside. Bring to a boil in a large pot of butter, honey, sugar, coffee grinding. Remove from the heat, add Rice Krispies, toasted sesame, halva and mix well. Pour into pan lined with greased baking paper, flatten with a spoon or with the bottom of a glass (this is important to the cookies will not fall apart during cutting). Cool to room temperature. Keep in a sealed refrigerator and serve cold. When it is done it looks like marshmallow treats. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Hospitality, A Recipe and Flip Video Cameras

It is hard to find time to write because everyone is so friendly. I am sitting at the Wi'am Center table and people keep stopping by and talking. I have so much to write about!! First of all I was so excited to hear from my friends in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. There is a summer school class there that sent me some interesting questions about school here.

How many hours do students go to school?

7 hours

 

When does school start?

at 7:30

What do they eat for lunch?

They do not have a cafeteria with tables. They just have a place where they can buy food. They have a recess of 30 minutes where they can buy food, play, or eat a sandwich they brought from home.

How many students are in a class?

 between 25 -30 students

What do children play at recess?

They only have 30 minutes which is enough time to eat. Sometimes they play chasing each other, basketball or soccer. Sometimes they eat really quickly or they don't eat and just play.  At 2:30-3:00 pm they go home from school and there is hot food prepared for them. They call this lunch, but it is more like our dinner. They eat again sometime in the evening. The evening meal is simpler.

Do they go on field trips?

They take one or two trips each year. When there is a field trip the whole school goes together (1st-6th grades together and then 7-12th grades together). They have gone to a park in Bethlehem, the zoo in Jerusalem, Jerico and Jeneen (there is a theme park there with roller coasters). Their field trips are just for playing.

What are the biggest differences between the schools and US schools?

the food

they have less recess time

they have 45 minutes for each lesson

starting in first grade they have different teachers for each subject

The kids wanted to talk more and had more questions for the kids in Wisconsin. We will be putting their questions in here tomorrow.

We started learning about using the Flip Video cameras yesterday. They all made small movies just to learn how to use them. I am putting some pictures in here of them using the cameras!

The main topic today is hospitality. People here are so generous and hospitable. Every time you stop into someone's home they bring you tea or coffee. They make you feel so welcome. Last night I went with two other women to a house of someone they had met. While we were sitting and visiting with the family, Giselle kept going into the kitchen and coming out with one or another thing for us to eat or drink. First it was lemonade, then salted peanuts, then a plate of fruit for each person, then little hot meat pies, then tea, then cookies. The little meat pies are hard to explain because I do not have a word for them. One kind looks like a tiny pizza (about two inches in diameter) topped with some mix of meat and spices, one was a triangle of dough made with herbs in the dough and the triangles were filled with cheese, the last one was another triangle of dough which had a different filling. I am not sure how to describe it. It is not only food though. You feel like you are very welcome and they laugh and talk and everyone enjoys one another. No one is in a big hurry, so they sit and talk.

It is a contrast to our American way where we are all so busy all of the time. 

Ruty in Hertzeliya was also very hospitable. She made cake and the halva candy and took us so many places. Here is the recipe for the Halva Candy:

Crackling candy 

Material size 20X27 cm format:
1 cup sesame seeds 

100g butter 

Half cup honey 

Half cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder 

Cup raw tahini 

5 cups Rice Krispies

100g of halva cut into chunks

Preparation: Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan while stirring, until golden. Remove bowl and set aside. Bring to a boil in a large pot of butter, honey, sugar, coffee grinding. Remove from the heat, add Rice Krispies, toasted sesame, halva and mix well. Pour into pan lined with greased baking paper, flatten with a spoon or with the bottom of a glass (this is important to the cookies will not fall apart during cutting). Cool to room temperature. Keep in a sealed refrigerator and serve cold. When it is done it looks like marshmallow treats. Cut into 1 inch squares.

The Wi'am Center

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I found out that all of you readers were not able to comment without logging in. It was a setting that I had not changed. Now it is changed, so I hope you will all comment!

Well, I made it here. I am writing in the exact lab pictured in an earlier post. We took the bus this morning from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and then we were picked up by a taxi at the bus station in Jerusalem and the taxi brought us here.

When we got to the Wi'am office they offered to get us falafel sandwiches. Falafel are like meatballs, but they are made with ground chick peas. They are delicious. The balls are fried and then put into a pita bread with lettuce and sauce. It is messy to eat, but tastes very good. It was good to see people that we had met last year.

It is REALLY hot today. The center has thick stone walls and cement floors which help keep it a little cool, but it is still hot.

Tomorrow I will meet the kids and we will start making videos. I think we will do a quick one and then start planning for their final one that we will put on YouTube and on this blog. Keep your eyes tuned to this station!

Soon I will include a recipe for something like rice krispy treats made with halva. My friend Ruti made them and they are really good, healthy, and easy to make.

The Wi'am Center

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I found out that all of you readers were not able to comment without logging in. It was a setting that I had not changed. Now it is changed, so I hope you will all comment!

Well, I made it here. I am writing in the exact lab pictured in an earlier post. We took the bus this morning from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and then we were picked up by a taxi at the bus station in Jerusalem and the taxi brought us here.

When we got to the Wi'am office they offered to get us falafel sandwiches. Falafel are like meatballs, but they are made with ground chick peas. They are delicious. The balls are fried and then put into a pita bread with lettuce and sauce. It is messy to eat, but tastes very good. It was good to see people that we had met last year.

It is REALLY hot today. The center has thick stone walls and cement floors which help keep it a little cool, but it is still hot.

Tomorrow I will meet the kids and we will start making videos. I think we will do a quick one and then start planning for their final one that we will put on YouTube and on this blog. Keep your eyes tuned to this station!

Soon I will include a recipe for something like rice krispy treats made with halva. My friend Ruti made them and they are really good, healthy, and easy to make.

A Visit to a School

I am so lucky to have met Ruti Hotzen, who is my hostess here with her husband Ehud. They picked us up at the airport and have fed us and given us a very comfortable place to stay and shown us around. We are seeing and learning so much.

Ruti is the country representative for iEARN which is an international organization connecting teachers from different countries who are doing projects. I learned yesterday that teachers (classrooms) first join a Learning Circle which is a collection of about 6 classrooms around the world that are interested in doing a certain project. iEARN has a list of over 200 projects that you can join and many of them are ongoing. Ruti told me about a project that she coordinates called "Talking Kites". The project was inspired by Janusz Korczak, who was a doctor who started orphanages in Poland and really cared for kids. His name links to books he wrote in case you want to learn more. It is much too long to describe here, but you can go to project on the iEARN site to learn more.

Today we took a very interesting trip to a unique school called Newe Shalom which means Oasis of Peace. In this school both Jewish and Arab children learn together. They learn each other's languages and play together and build friendships. It was a happy place. The picture above shows me sitting with Ruti near the rainbow, which is the entrance to the school. You could tell that the school has regular visitors because the students didn't even look up when we walked around and even stepped into their classrooms. Even Pink Floyd has visited the school and did a concert here which is remembered by this pyramid in honor of the occasion. Ruti is known there through the iEARN Talking Kites project and also because her grandson attends there!






At the school I saw artwork from recycled materials posted everywhere, heard really nice recorder music in music class and even stopped into a classroom. The classrooms were small and had double desks. I didn't see any computers, but it is the end of the year and they are putting things away. There is a computer lab and Ruti said that they use them a lot.

Ruti lives in a small city or town called Herzliya (sounds like hurtzuleea) which is named after Theodore Hertzl who is the founder of Zionism, creation of a homeland for the Jewish people. I hope that Ruti or someone else will correct me in the comments if that is not correct. Here is a picture of the statue of Hertzl that you see when entering the town.

Well, that is enough for today... there is so much more I could say. I am looking forward to your comments and questions!

A Visit to a School

I am so lucky to have met Ruti Hotzen, who is my hostess here with her husband Ehud. They picked us up at the airport and have fed us and given us a very comfortable place to stay and shown us around. We are seeing and learning so much.

Ruti is the country representative for iEARN which is an international organization connecting teachers from different countries who are doing projects. I learned yesterday that teachers (classrooms) first join a Learning Circle which is a collection of about 6 classrooms around the world that are interested in doing a certain project. iEARN has a list of over 200 projects that you can join and many of them are ongoing. Ruti told me about a project that she coordinates called "Talking Kites". The project was inspired by Janusz Korczak, who was a doctor who started orphanages in Poland and really cared for kids. His name links to books he wrote in case you want to learn more. It is much too long to describe here, but you can go to project on the iEARN site to learn more.

Today we took a very interesting trip to a unique school called Newe Shalom which means Oasis of Peace. In this school both Jewish and Arab children learn together. They learn each other's languages and play together and build friendships. It was a happy place. The picture above shows me sitting with Ruti near the rainbow, which is the entrance to the school. You could tell that the school has regular visitors because the students didn't even look up when we walked around and even stepped into their classrooms. Even Pink Floyd has visited the school and did a concert here which is remembered by this pyramid in honor of the occasion. Ruti is known there through the iEARN Talking Kites project and also because her grandson attends there!






At the school I saw artwork from recycled materials posted everywhere, heard really nice recorder music in music class and even stopped into a classroom. The classrooms were small and had double desks. I didn't see any computers, but it is the end of the year and they are putting things away. There is a computer lab and Ruti said that they use them a lot.

Ruti lives in a small city or town called Herzliya (sounds like hurtzuleea) which is named after Theodore Hertzl who is the founder of Zionism, creation of a homeland for the Jewish people. I hope that Ruti or someone else will correct me in the comments if that is not correct. Here is a picture of the statue of Hertzl that you see when entering the town.

Well, that is enough for today... there is so much more I could say. I am looking forward to your comments and questions!