My Two Running Projects

This blog has two parts.  What I have been secretly planning is revealed in the second part.

Part I: Run Together for Netivot 5K

Netivot’s first ever 5K run was amazing, exciting, and unique.  

Here I am on raced day.  I worked through the bureaucracy of Netivot, learned many lessons along the way - all that needed to happen now was for runners to arrive. 

Fifteen minutes before the race was set to begin, I found myself standing at the registration table alone, thinking my roommates would be the only participants.  A group of ten OTZMA fellows suddenly walked around the corner.  They lived in the cities of Haifa, Rehovot, Ofakim, and of course Netivot.  I had no idea that so many were coming.  For many of them, it was their first 5K ever (see Rachel Frank’s blog at http://holylanding.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/surviving-purim-and-a-5k/)!

But that is only the start of the craziness.  Five minutes later a group of 12 teenagers training for the army signed up to participate.  Then, the head of Netivot security, Erez, arrived with three patrol cars.  Just as we were starting the pre-race briefing, Netivot's security bike patrol arrived.  Imagine a race with 22 participants, and 11 bike patrolmen! Needless to say, the runners received plenty of motivation from the officers riding beside them.  Over the radios, the security officers were placing bets on who would win the race – Leon my roommate or Elyssa from Haifa.  Leon sprinted past Elyssa at the finish line leaving many officers ashamed to say who they bet on.

Today, I used the sponsorship money to buy a boatload of soccer balls, basketballs, and board games for the kids whom I volunteer with.  The generosity of the business owners in Netivot never ceases to surprise me.

The OTZMA contingent with the hand-made finish line.

Can't have enough security officers on bikes.

The trophy-bouquets to the left and me working hard on the right.

Part II: The Strengthening Bonds Run

On March 12^th, I will leave Rosh HaNikra on a nine day 470 kilometer (300 mile) run to Eilat, the first run of its kind across Israel by an American.  The run will be called the Strengthening Bonds Run because its objectives are to:

(1) Strengthen the bonds between Israel and America

(2) Strengthen the bonds between children and their mentors

I am doing this run to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and Youth Futures - פותחים עתיד, both mentorship organizations that are very close to my heart.  I am also doing the run to raise awareness for the many American-Israeli sister city partnerships.  

Here are some details:

• I plan to run approximately 55 kilometers a day.
• After day 3, I will be joined by a support team of 4 other OTZMAniks to provide food, water, and company
• The main costs of the trip will be car rental and gas purchase
• I hope to raise at least $1,000 for each organization.
• I hope to be featured in the MASA section of Ynet, and also in many local Jewish community papers in the United States
• The website, www.RunIsrael.org, will help people stay updated on the run and serve as a fundraising tool.
• I will be visiting many Youth Futures chapters throughout Israel during the run

I need your help and support.

In order to reach my goal, I will need you to reach out to your friends, tell them about this project, and get them to the website.  Also, as an added bonus for people who donate more than $50, I will run with a message on my back for 10 kilometers and send a picture of me directly to their inbox!  Simply email the message to Hendel.Marc@gmail.com and I will take care of the rest.

Please remember, this project is just as much about raising awareness for the sister cities in Israel as it is about donations, so the more people that know, regardless of if they donate, the better. Don't be afraid to send this blog post to your friends.  The partnership of Netivot-Philedelphia has changed my life and the lives of many Israelis here.  More people should learn about the many partnerships.

By the way, I am not 100% sure that I can complete the run.  But I do know that the more of you that support me on my journey will motivate me when I have doubts.  Please visit www.RunIsrael.org, see the photo shoot for the run, and donate.

Thank you so much!

Netivot, Dancing, and Volunteering

These last few months have been packed with volunteering, making new friends, and working on some special projects.  Where we last left off, the operation (which most Israeli's call "the war") was in full swing.  My program got security clearance to move us into Netivot the day after the cease-fire.  Before we left for Netivot, OTZMA took a special volunteering trip to do an "Extreme Makeover School Edition."  Whenever we had breaks, I couldn't help but dance with the kids.  See if you recognize any of the songs.

Now onto my life these past months...

When I say that I live in Netivot to most of my friends in Northern Israel, they respond with a look of pity and confusion.  "Why would you live there?" is one of the nicest follow up responses. What they don't know is that Netivot is one of the friendliest and fastest developing cities in Israel.  It is located halfway between Beer Sheva and Ashkelon, and next year it will have a train station (a pretty big deal).  Sure - I can count the tourist attractions on one hand: (1) wild red Calaniyot flowers, (2) a replica of the liberty bell, (3) a giant water tower, and... (4) did I mention the flowers?  Okay, so its not a tourist destination, but the warmth of the people in this city make it special.

Since many people in Netivot, including my adopted mother, are from North Africa, I eat a lot of couscous. Like couscous, the people of Netivot are warm and filled with love.  It is amazing to live here.  

Gil, the director of the Philadelphia/Netivot Partnership and I look at Calaniyot wildflowers 

Look familiar?  I have a view of the bell from my window. 

Just sixty year ago, this entire area was a barren desert.  In stark contrast to that, I give you the water tower of Netivot. 

Volunteering

At this point you may be asking, so what exactly do you do all day except look at flowers?  I spend Sunday through Thursday volunteering at five different locations.  Here they are in pictures:

Leon, my roommate and best friend in Netivot, play slide outside the afterschool of the Ethiopian Cultural Center. They have many energetic kids who attend their afterschool.  On any given day you can find us playing soccer, hand games, or dancing around. 

Leon's team against Marc's team in one of the most epic games of checkers that the Ethiopian Cultural Center has ever seen.

This picture was taken at Children's World,  where I play games with children while their siblings are in occupational therapy sessions. In case you didn't notice, the child in the photo, Roi, likes to make funny faces for the camera.

Potchim Atid is one of my favorite places to volunteer.  It is an organization that pairs youth that may need some extra guidance with mentors in their schools.  It reminds me a lot of Big Brothers Big Sisters.  I made the poster in the background with them.  A similar poster hung in my 8th grade geometry class. It reads "Shoot for the moon.  If you miss, you'll be among the stars."  The girl in pink, Tslil, always has an incredible amount of happiness bubbling out of her.  Can you tell?

This picture is taken at the women's school, where women over the age of 70 participate in classes, from Hebrew literature to sport.  When they are not learning, they play dominoes.  [*For math geeks only* - check out how this base-7 system is generated by the coprime pairs of (1,7), (2,7), (3,7), (4,7), (5,7), and (6,7) by going forward and backward along the spiral].  Many of the women are very religious and shy away from photos.

I also volunteer teaching English at the Saligman Center.  Max, Sara, and I tutor groups of four to seven children at a time for 45 minutes, five lessons in a row.  It's fun, but also an intense challenge.  Especially when the children of a single group are at different levels of proficiency.

My next blog post will be about my special projects here in Israel:

1.  Netivot Running Club

2.  The Netivot Night Run 5K Race

3.  A MYSTERY PROJECT *stay tuned for next week's blog*

BONUS PICTURE: Here is Leon and I acting out a scene from the Lion King.  We went on a weekend hiking trip to Mitzpe Ramon where we took the occasional tour up a rock face.