If your Jewish child isn't a doctor or lawyer, she's a scientist, right? Of course right!
This World-ORT sponsored High School - one of 200 schools in Israel serving 200,000 underprivileged students - concentrates on the sciences with cutting-edge lab facilities and very devoted teachers. ORT is yet another branch of JFNA-funded agencies - one that focuses on education and job training. In the somewhat depressed town of Kiryat Gan, this new High School is a beacon for scientific study, with a planetarium, a mock-underwater observatory (with screenings of National Geographic films) and outdoor interactive "Science Garden" on site.
As special visitors, we were invited to participate in a couple of experiments and chat with a few of these bright kids, most whose families came to Israel from other countries (ie, Russia, Bulgaria).
 |
| Now class, we will be studying the effect of salt on the temperature of ice... World-ORT Science High School Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| World-ORT Science High School Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| Scientists of Tomorrow World-ORT Science High School Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| Outdoor Interactive Science Garden World-ORT Science High School Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| Outdoor Science Garden - Note Planetarium in Background World-ORT Science High School Kiryat Yam, Israel |
The Center for Ethiopian Jewish Heritage sits adjacent to the new Science High School and in its first few months has begun to draw Israelis and tourists interested in the history of Jews from this African country. It's also designed as an enrichment center and gathering place for Ethiopian Jews. We were invited for traditionally authentic roasted coffee and a wonderful lunch as we learned about the rich culture of our Ethiopian brethren. One story revolves around the Stork (called Shimela in Amharic)- a symbol of longing for Jerusalem; Once a year as winter approaches, flocks of storks leave Europe for the warmer climate of Ethiopia. They fly over Israel along the way. Upon their arrival in Ethiopia, community members turn their eyes to the storks and ask wistfully, "Shimela, shimela, how is our Jerusalem?" hoping that one day they would reach the holy city. This is why the symbol of the stork appears in many embroidered and sculpted works of art - and also why Ethiopians, who lived in the bush and had never set eyes on an airplane before, believed that the large planes arrayed to take them to Israel during Operation Moses and Operation Solomon were very large storks!
 |
| The Nate Lipson Center for Ethiopian Jewish Heritage Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| Making Coffee the Traditional Way Center for Ethiopian Jewish Heritage Kiryat Yam, Israel |
 |
| The Nate Lipson Center for Ethiopian Jewish Heritage Kiryat Yam, Israel |
No comments:
Post a Comment