Odelia Kabessa, a participant on the BINA GAP Mechina year, reflects on her experience in GAP Mechina: about how it feels to start a new semester with a warm socially distance smile.
It has been officially two weeks since the Gap Mechina arrived back on campus from our winter break.
With the lockdown still being in place, we were a little hesitant about what our schedule would be like due to Corona restrictions. In the end we have had so much fun these past two weeks that we barely even notice the lockdown is happening.
Since the Israelis were not back at the Mechina last week the Gap took advantage of the empty campus and held two themed dinners. The first dinner was a celebrity night, we all dressed up as our favorite celebrities and gorged on delicious homemade gnocchi. After the dinner, we ended the night with some DIY karaoke. The second dinner was a camp-themed kabbalat Shabbat where we sang songs, played guitar, and got emotional about the closing of our first semester.
After a well deserved restful weekend the gap group was more than ready to jump start the second semester of the Mechina with open minds, hearts and with more than full bellies.
This week started off with immediate excitement as the Gap welcomed back all the Israeli Mechanistim with a warm socially distanced smile and began the prequel of the second semester with a reflection week that the Mechina calls “Shavua Emtza". Shavua Emtza is a week-long event where the Madirchim plan interactive, bonding, and conversation starting activities for each group.
On Monday the entire mechina hopped on a zoom call for an important and raw seminar dedicated to MLK where we listened to Black speakers talk about their lives. On Tuesday the Gap got to switch our madrich, Yonaton with an Israeli Madricha, Shachar! With Shachar, the Gap shared stories about from where we are each from and the food we miss the most from home. The group then followed up this conversation by baking vegan cookie pies.
Following the cooking theme, Wednesday morning the Gap and our madrich, made brunch together in the comfort of our very own apartment. Collectively the group made omelets, crepes, homefries, and of course the Middle Eastern brunch staple, Israeli salad.
Later in the afternoon the Gap headed to campus and reflected on our time in the Mechina so far. We discussed and rated the seminars and trips we had done so far this year, and talked about how we felt starting the new semester. The Gap was even pushed to be a little vulnerable with one another by giving each other compliment notes where we answered questions such as “I am grateful you are in Mata because…”. The group bonding will continue this week as we go in head first into Thursday with a group workout session and a mechina dinner!
It has been an amazing past two weeks so far and the gap between participants' excitement continues to rise as this week continues to progress with more bonding activities, delicious meals, and chresuring memories!
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Odelia Kabessa
GAP Mechina
