Hello
my name is Shani Jacob, and I'm 16 years old from Haifa, Israel. I go to the
Hebrew Reali School, and I'm a counselor in the Scouts. I have one little
sister who is 10 years old and a dog. When I was asked to define what it's like
to be a teenager in Israeli society, I could not find only one answer. Is it
going to the mall or the beach? Is it being in the Scouts? Does it mean knowing
Jewish history and how to speak Hebrew? Or, does is it mean knowing all about
the politics and diplomatic relations in the country and the region? I believe
that being a teenager in Israel is indefinable. It should mean being active in many
ways - it could be knowing all about Israeli history, being in theScouts or
going to Karate lessons.
But one
of the most important things for an Israeli teenager is knowing what is happening
outside of your neighborhood, or city, and outside of Israel, because for being
such a small dot on the map, we do get a lot of public intention. Just in the
last 15 years- my whole life, Israel had been through a war and seven operations
inside of Gaza Strip. Every mother in Israel says to her baby that when they
will grow up, we will not need an army anymore and all the wars would end, and we
will live in peace with the Palestinians and our Arab neighbors. But in three
years, my friends and I will wear our uniforms, and we will learn how to fight,
and we might even fight, to protect ourselves. Every kid in Israel knows that
one day he or she will go to the army.
In high
school, every kid has to volunteer and do something for Israeli society. It can
be packing food for people how can't afford to buy their own food, helping
theelderly, or little kids, being a Scouts leader and working the youth, or anything
that you might be interested in that would help improve Israelis’ lives. We are
taught that helping others is as important as studying math or history and
sometimes, it's even more important- we are taught to be good human beings
before we are taught to be intellectuals. My volunteering is being a counselor
in the Scouts, as I said earlier. It is very hard and requires a lot of time
and attention, because twice a week I get my group of eight, 10 year old girls
to teach important values through games and having fun. I have to deal with all
the drama and different characteristics of the girls, but seeing them every
single week, anxious for the activity to start, it is all worth it. I know that
one day they will become amazing Scouts’ counselors on their own, and they'll
remember their fifth grade scouts counselor- me, they might remember the advice
I gave them or the trip that we had, or a specific game or story. At the end of
the day, it is all worth it.
I see
how Israel is showing itself to the world every single day. I've been abroad, seen
Anti-Semitism first-hand, and was asked about politics and technology in
Israel. The media says we are the occupiers of the Gaza Strip and that we kill
Palestinians and start wars- this is not true. Since when has protecting
ourselves become violence? Iswanting one land where we can be who we are and
feel safe so wrong?
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה