B.Y.O.B. (Birthright on Bat Yam) - Going Strong!!!

Photos by: Michael Rajzman

With over 500 young Jewish adults coming through Bat Yam this spring and summer as part of a new initiative in conjunction with United Israel Appeal of Canada, Canada Israel Experience trips with Taglit-Birthright & Hoops 4 Israel; the social action encounters have brought new perspective and nachas into the hearts of these dynamic children of this vulnerable community. UJA Federation of Greater Toronto's sister-city for the past two years has been Bat Yam - as several fundraising and now grassroots initiatives are cropping up to bring support to the youth of this growing city.

Birthright Israel participants visiting the community within Bat Yam on June 2nd, 2010

Founder of Hoops 4 Israel in Toronto, Canada - Dave Goodman greets the kids!

The visit to Bat Yam gives young Jewish adults from Canada a glimpse into the lives of these young children who have to face significant challenges to assimilate and adapt to Israeli society. Many children living in Bat Yam have only moved to Israel in the past 1-4 years and are still going through the transition phase of life. The CIE Taglit-Birthright time with these Ethiopian-Israeli youth give them a better idea of how difficult adolescence can be during a life of transition and difficult cultural change.

Over 80 care packages were made for IDF soldiers who are stationed

away from family during their service on bases throughout Israel.

Bat Yam youth really taking to the Canadians playfulness and durability

Over 50% of these children come from families relying on social welfare services

40% of these children are categorized as 'at-risk' and 1 in 4 will drop out of high school

B.Y.O.B., an initiative to bring participants of TBI to visit the community and bring tangible goods to enhance these children's lives. If you have any of the following and would like to have them shipped to Bat Yam via CIE trips, please contact goodman@hoops4israel.com:

• school supplies
• musical instruments
• sports equipment
• gently used or new clothing

Touched by Bat Yam on Birthright Israel (January 2010)

By: Vanessa Bloomfield (Banff, Alberta)

I recently went on Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel with Canada Israel Experience. I am extremely grateful to Canada Israel Experience and my madrachim (trip leaders)for this incredible opportunity. While it was eye opening in many respects regarding my personal beliefs about Judaism—the most eye opening experience came on the final day of the trip. We went to Bat Yam, a small, poor Ethiopian immigrant community on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. While in Tel Aviv you can feel the wealth and capitalism. There are shops, markets, hair salons and modern apartment buildings strung in rows upon each other. The people walking the streets speak English and Hebrew; there are tourist attractions, local pubs, and advertisements for businesses. Tel Aviv, is, in every sense, a modern city.

As we drove to Bat Yam the apartments became more run down, smaller. The streets became different. Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt darker. We were told that these children have come to Israel with nothing, usually only the clothes on their backs. They are, literally, starting from scratch. We went to an after school program where the children are given a positive space to play and learn after school. We made boxes for soldiers and pom-poms out of tissue paper to cheer on the basketball game that was to occur.

The kids were shy at first, but despite the language barrier were obviously excited and pleased. Underneath the excitement the sense of poverty was apparent. The play room was a former bunker, and the school heavily relied on charity to create this space for the children of Bat Yam. This place could be the difference between a life of crime on the streets or a life of bettering the world with whatever contribution the children choose to make. And choice is the key, here in the slums of Tel Aviv. These people have all chosen to come to Israel; to make a better life for their families. They choose to pursue their dreams in a place of hope surrounded by enemies and prejudice. Yet still the children are faced with a choice of right and wrong in a very real sense of defining their entire lives.

The positive after-school space helps provide an escape, a warm meal, and the ability to define themselves in terms of sports or dance. We, our bus, took them ballet gear and basketballs for their sports program. The children were thrilled! Have you ever felt that sense of poverty, and the fire of the will from the people in this situation?

The capitalism is apparent in Tel Aviv; and these children want what everyone else has. The will of the children to learn and grow is only topped by their pursuit of fun. A girl shouts “Sit down” to a participant. He sits. She shouts “Sit Down” again. Now he's confused. He tells her “I'm already sitting”. She shouts “Sit down” with a gigantic smile on her face. So he lays down. “Sit down” she yells. Now everyone is confused and he stands up again. A teacher wanders over and speaks in Hebrew with the girl; apparently she does not know what “sit down” means, but she knows how to say it. The teacher explains in Hebrew and the girl giggles. I look over and another participant is playing a game of chase with two girls, much like any dad would do at the park with his daughters. He runs, slowly, letting the girls 'escape' then runs after them roaring while the girls shriek with laughter.

I am touched by the love and laughter of this place; in the place of abject poverty I feel no sadness, but a love of life. I found out that even in the poorest of circumstances, money does not dictate laughter and love. The richest may not be the happiest and that even the simplest activities like playing a game of chase or laughing over a shared language barrier may bring the greatest joy.

We should all look to our children for inspiration of positive and simple ways to laugh. It eases the heart of an adult and gives children such a sense of accomplishment that we find value in their ways and thoughts. This alone creates a positivity that can change the world. Even though we were in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Tel Aviv,we were amazed at what generosity from Canadians can do for a few children’s futures. We all agreed that was one of the most incredible moments of the trip. For many of us, it even topped floating in the Dead Sea! Which was great! I would love to go back and volunteer, but in the meantime, I will volunteer in my own community to increase the laughter and positivity of children, give back to the world, and strive to create positive space wherever I go.

Hoops 4 Israel Exec Crew 2010

"It's all right to aim high if you have plenty of ammunition" -Hawley R. Everhart

That is how we feel with Hoops 4 Israel, lofty goals on a yearly basis, but plenty of fire power in our volunteers to make it happen. H4I is privileged to have buy-in from some of the most capable and dedicated young volunteers in the Toronto Jewish Community.

Aaron Collins (28), joined the H4I committee in 2007 to help plan and implement its inaugural event. Since then, Aaron has been extremely active in the planning process and took on Gameday operations chair in March 2009. A 2005 Birthright Israel alumnus, Aaron has made a significant impact on the Hoops squad through his years of volunteerism with us, and continues that trend by heading up Gameday ops in 2010 (contact: aaronc@hoops4israel.com)

Daniel Winberg (27), has been part of the H4I faithful, planning and playing in the event since 2007. In 2008, Dan was a top-individual fundraiser and furthered his involvement in the community by Chairing the annual One Family Fund bike-a-thon to support Israeli victims of terror. A Birthright Israel alumnus of 2004, Dan is spearheading the team management division of H4I 2010. To register a team with us, please contact danielw@hoops4israel.com.

Jon Ordon (27), joined H4I in 2009 and made a significant impact in his first year as part of the in-kind sponsorship division, leading H4I to have its largest amount of rewards for top fundraisers and winning teams since our beginning. Jon is heading up this division again in 2010 and is looking for volunteers to help enhance our event by obtaining goods that can be used to reward our amazing volunteer participants. Jon can be reached at jonathano@hoops4israel.com.

Ari Ditkofksy (26), is the newest member of the executive crew of Hoops 4 Israel 2010. Having returned from his Birthright Israel trip in August 2009 and having spent a week with Ethiopian-Israeli youth, Ari is ready to make an impact through Hoops 4 Israel channels in 2010. A player and committee member, Ari brings an innovative and enthusiastic approach to Jewish fundraising that will set a new standard of how fundraising events are conducted in the Toronto scene moving forward. To connect with Ari, please send him an email to arid@hoops4israel.com to ask how you can get involved with his help.

Team Post of Birthright Israel Alumni Community (BAC): Lior Cyngiser (29), Shira Webber (29), Shauna Waltman (29), Dave Goodman (27) have been the staff-arm of Hoops 4 Israel since 2007. H4I is a grassroots initiative that has used the guidance and support of BAC since its inception of planning in 2006. For more information about the plethora of initiatives and programming that BAC executes on a monthly basis, please visit www.bactoronto.com.