The city that never sleeps
Tel Aviv- the city that never sleeps. Even with our fellows busy schedules of group days, ulpan, teaching, and volunteering, there is still a ton of free time to go out and explore. We have all of our evenings off, as well as “Exploration Days,” dedicated to experiencing this wonderful country on our own.
Big or small, we are constantly looking for ways to make things fun and get together. A couple weeks ago Masa hosted a Yom Aliyah Day via zoom. Everyone interested in staying in Israel after the program was given the chance to ask questions, express concerns, as well as mingle with others outside of MITF, such as people on programs like Masa internships. Fellows in Tel Aviv all gathered together to celebrate our decision to stay in Israel after the program ends. We cooked a large brunch together before the call began and were all able to sit and enjoy each other’s company, while learning about the many options we have for moving here. Getting to see new and old faces made the concept of staying in Israel a lot more welcoming.
Having the support of BINA and Masa while in Israel has been crucial to our experience. It was interesting to hear from a multitude of alumni and understand that these organizations will remain a resource to us even once we finish MITF. After the call everyone went to the park to enjoy a Tel Aviv sunset marking a wholesome end to the perfect day. This made everyone more excited for the rest of the time on our program, and possibly after.
With Purim coming up this week, fellows are excited to celebrate the holiday and for most this will be their first time celebrating in Israel. In our schools we are dedicating an entire week to fun festivities and teaching our students about Purim. This is a really fun time in the school year because the classes are decorated, the kids can wear costumes to school and we get to really bond with the children in a fun and new exciting way by incorporating lots of games!
Two fellows in Tel Aviv, Gabby and Alex, are busy planning away and asking their friends to help them film a funny short video to explain the story of Purim. Everyone will get together in different areas of Tel Aviv which gives everyone not only an additional chance to explore the city, but also bond and be together. This is a really engaging way to introduce the kids to some of their other friends on MITF and get creative with the material they show the kids! Using songs, dances, games and videos are always fun and further promote the children to associate learning English with having fun as well.
The fellows themselves have also planned to celebrate Purim around the country. Some heading to Be’er Sheva, Jerusalem, and us, right here in Tel Aviv! Huge parties and gatherings are happening all over, bar crawls, DJ’s in Yarkon Park, costume parties, and even events around Shuk HaCarmel. We’re excited to experience this time of year in Israel and have a week jam-packed with endless fun events to choose from. This is something that is really special about being on a year-long program. Getting to experience different holidays, seasons and completely immersing ourselves in the culture.
With all the new friends and plans coming up, we agree this definitely is the city that never sleeps- and for the next week, neither do we.
Your favorite Tel Aviv Fellows,
Marielle and Michaela
//Marielle and Michaela
