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Dancin ’n shakin!

FITSTIX class at Bayit Cham with Oshrat Berman

The sounds of African drum music emanating from the large, covered verandah adjacent to the Netanya Bayit Cham (Warm House)* drew the teenage girls away from the television and computers to the source of the sound. Their curiosity was further heightened by the sight of a young, smiling woman clad in gym garb.

The woman was Oshrat Berman, an experienced fitness trainer who had come all the way from Petah Tikva to give the girls a session of Fitstix exercise workout. Oshrat's natural warmth and easygoing personality won the girls' instant cooperation and trust. In no time at all she had them on the floor, each with a pair of innovative exercise sticks, moving from side to side, up and down. The sticks made a rhythmic sound as girls worked out in aerobic moves, toning and stretching muscles, jumping and shaking bodies to the rhythm of the musical beat. They were having fun at what can be called the Fitstix Dance Blast.

The two Fitstix workshops which opened the new school year at the Bayit Cham were made possible by a donor through ESRA.

'Volunteering' and 'self-help' were the values on which the staff focused their programming in the first school quarter. Practical participation in these values was made possible when the ESRA Netanya Branch decided to hold a pre-Chanukah Crafts Fair. It was an opportunity for the Bayit Cham to raise some money for fun activities that are not funded by official sources. For this to happen, the girls had to make an important value decision of their own: they had to agree to donate all the products they made in the Arts & Crafts sessions towards this group effort instead of taking them home. They also had to decide to make the bazaar their project – which they did with the active, ongoing encouragement and support of the staff and ESRA volunteers.

The girls in the baking workshop were not to be outdone. They wanted to bake small cakes, muffins and biscuits and sell them at the fair.

The great day - November 17 - arrived and the Bayit Cham resembled a beehive with frenzied activity on the part of the volunteers getting all the products ready to be moved to Beit Yona Apartments. When the four girls selected to sell the products and I entered the room, all ready and set up with stalls filled with goods to be sold, apprehension and doubt assailed the girls. Not for long. Once all the bags, mats, pot plants in decorated ceramics and baked goods were displayed and the girls began engaging with other volunteers and potential customers, they relaxed and used their charm and natural talents to sell.

As the afternoon turned into evening, two girls moved from their stall in the garden inside, and worked in the room, using whatever English they knew to the growing admiration of many people. Sitting outside, I listened as a gentleman from the marketing world talked to a small group of people about the girls' natural talents and selling tactics. He said, "Look, I'm going to challenge them." He walked up to the stall and said to O, a smiling girl intent on selling everything asap, "Why do you have muffins? It's two weeks to Chanukah, you should have made doughnuts or something else connected with the holiday?"

Without batting an eyelid O replied quickly, "Ok! So imagine there's jam in the center of the muffin." With a shout of great delight, the gentleman turned to the spectators. "You see what I mean? They are naturals."

"So does that mean you will buy a muffin?" asked the poised O.

"How can I not?" answered the gentleman.

Sensing an opportunity to capitalize on her advantage, O went on, "And if you also take a plant, you can get an extra muffin for free…"

The bazaar came to an end and everyone was tired but satisfied with the profit made and the experience they had gained. They went home having learnt much about ESRA ("such nice people"), volunteering ("they organized this for nothing?") and themselves ("I didn't know I had it in me to sell") and ready to do it all over again. 

Volunteer Bella Behari tutor English at Bayit Cham

Two weeks later, on the 6th day of Chanukah, 12 teenage girls, Sal-It, the social worker, Moran, the counselor, Josselyne, the baking teacher, and I made our way to the Senior Citizens' Club in the Vatikim neighborhood of Netanya for the inter-generation volunteer effort. The Bayit Cham undertook to provide a Chanukah evening of 'fun – young and old'. The girls were carefully prepared for the evening by Sal-It and Moran, but nevertheless, they expressed anxiety and some fear about interacting with 'old' people. As the girls entered the Day-Care Center carrying cold drinks, biscuits and other 'nosh', their eyes widened with surprise at seeing the attractive club rooms and they felt unexpected pleasure being so warmly greeted by ladies, senior in age but young at heart.

Everyone was then invited into an activity room and asked to take a seat in a large circle. Some 24 senior ladies participated. At first, members of each group tended to sit with each other, but after an excellent game of "getting acquainted", skillfully handled by Sal-It, the barriers dropped and the two groups began to relate to one another as people. Lighting Chanukah candles followed with everyone singing the traditional Chanukah songs. It is an old adage that music cuts across all differences and creates a common feeling of good-will, a common language. And so it was with this group as they spontaneously continued to sing other well-known songs.

But what is a celebration without food? As quick as lightening, the Bayit Cham team pulled out the small dining tables and organized them around the room, placing drinks, biscuits, fruit and nosh to be enjoyed by all, teenagers and seniors sitting mixed around the tables.

Several rounds of Bingo with prizes were then hugely and excitedly enjoyed by all alike, followed by other board games such as dominos, Rummicub, draughts, Obongo and others that enabled more intimate interaction and conversation. While the group was playing games, Josselyne took over the kitchen and turned the pre-prepared dough that she and the girls had made at the Bayit Cham, into delicious "Sfinge" – the Moroccan version of doughnuts. They were devoured by all and served as an apt ending to a delightful evening of fun, as each group learnt a bit more about the other.

Esther Tolkin is ESRA's volunteer coordinator of Bayit Cham.

*The Bayit Cham in Kiryat Nordau, Netanya, is a wonderful afternoon program for teenage girls (13-18 years old) at-risk. It is open from 12.30 -18.30 Sundays – Thursdays. The girls come to the Bayit Cham after school and enjoy a hot, nutritious lunch, which is funded by ESRA. It is often their only substantial hot meal of the day. The lunch is followed by structured time for doing homework. Volunteer tutors and students are at hand to assist. Over the past two years, ESRA's English tutors have succeeded in motivating the girls to learn and enjoy English and this has resulted in improved school marks for some. Bayit Cham is run by a team including a dynamic counselor, social worker, two special activity teachers and volunteers who provide a rich program of learning, playing, group and individual discussions, art, cooking, baking and other life enrichment opportunities such as volunteering. 

 

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Friday, 29 March 2024

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