In the 1900's, money raised for Israel was all about building, buying, pioneering and greening the land. In the late 1800's, most of what is now Tel Aviv (outside of Jaffa) was sand dunes, and other outlying areas in Israel were malarial swamps frequented, unbelievably, by water buffalo. Remember the JNF (Jewish National Fund) Plant-A-Tree certificates that we bought every year around T'Bishvat (the Jewish "Birthday of the Trees")? Those funds actually did provide seedlings that eventually turned desolate, rocky terrain into lush forests; to date over 240 MILLION trees have been planted in Israel.
While the country of Israel has always pushed to be greener, "conservation" and "environmentalism" are relatively new concepts just beginning to take root here. Lately, however, fundraising dollars are being directed to help underserved and disadvantaged kids. In fact, with the State of Israel built and pioneered, current programs and humanitarian efforts are focusing on Youth and Families at Risk.
We visited one place that manages to raise environmental awareness along with offering performing arts programs for these at-risk kids; The Vertigo Eco Arts Village at Kibbutz Netiv Halamed-He. Billed as a "Rural Cultural Arts Center for art and ecology, that offers a model of ecological living. The village facilitates ongoing arts and environmental programming for the greater public, including workshops, retreats, performances and festivals."
You can find the members of the world-renowned Vertigo Dance Troupe working with kids and adults and rehearsing for upcoming performances. (They have danced at Jacob's Pillow in MA). We participated in movement and trust exercises (with other young guests sponsored by the Ethiopian National Project), watched a snippet from an upcoming Vertigo Dance piece, were treated to fresh mint tea, and helped out by planting trees on the property.
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| Girls sponsored by ENP (Ethiopian National Project) Funded in part by JFNA Speaking perfect English, they revealed that their favorite American talk show host is ELLEN! At Vertigo Village, Kibbutz Netiv Halamed-He, Israel |
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| Preparing to Move at Vertigo Village, Israel |
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| Learning trust through movement at Vertigo Eco Arts Village, Israel |
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| Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance Routine, Israel |
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| Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance Routine, Israel |
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| Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance Routine, Israel |
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| Volunteers Digging In the Dirt; Planting Trees at Vertigo Eco-Arts Village Israel |
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| Creating Art from Rocky Soil; The Finished Product - a Tree at Vertigo Arts Village Ready to Grow Israel |
Before heading back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at this great little winery - a small business made possible with some help from The Jewish Agency, a branch of Jewish Federations worldwide. Some of our dollars go towards helping individuals and families in Israel realize their dreams. This tasting room was the perfect afternoon cap!
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| Mom and Pop Wine and Cheese Care of a Small Loan Initiative to Help Launch Small Businesses Delish! |
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