Meet Noah Kaplan, a participant in our unique Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program with BINA in Tel Aviv. As an MITF Tel Aviv+ fellow, you live and teach English in Tel Aviv for five months, and in one of Israel’s smaller cities that you choose for an additional five months: Beit She’an, Nazareth, Ramla, or Rahat, meeting with diverse communities in Israel. Noah chose to teach English in Beit Shean and he shares his life-changing experience:
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“My MITF experience with BINA through two and a half months has been nothing short of eye-opening. I moved to Beit She’an in the north of Israel knowing virtually nothing about the environment, which allowed me not to set any expectations and really begin this journey with an open mind. Immediately I was struck by the staggering level of community that Beit She’an’s residents carry as a mark of pride. As it was my duty to open my mind, it was their nature to open their hearts. Everyone was eager to do what they could to make us feel comfortable, from the men welcoming me into their weekly basketball game to the countless people who have invited me into their homes to ensure I have a place to be each and every Shabbat.
I have previously studied and traveled in Europe, getting the overall feeling that the world scoffs at Americans invading their culture. Here in Beit She’an, it is exactly the opposite. Parents are very thankful that we are here to help integrate English into the daily lives of their children. The children are excited to have native English speakers they can interact with and learn about American culture as well. Working with these kids has been very challenging, but rewarding nonetheless. This job forces me to come up with creative ways to interact with them and keep them engaged due to the heavy language barrier. It is essential to carry with me a certain energy throughout the day that I wouldn’t have sitting in a cubicle back home.
I cannot thank enough the MITF with BINA program, for providing me such a unique experience. I truly feel happy and connected to the State of Israel in a way I never thought possible. If you’d have told me a few years ago that I’d be living nuzzled between Jordan and the West Bank, teaching English to kids who hardly speak it to begin with, I’d first deem you crazy, then ask where I can sign up.”
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MITF Tel Aviv+ is the only MITF track where you get to live and teach in Tel Aviv – Israel’s most exciting city and cultural hub!
Registration is in full swing! For more information, Click here.
