July 6, 2021
I am impressed with the maturity of the chanichimot and very proud of the connections that they have been able to make. I love how comfortable they feel around me, especially when they ask to speak to me privately. My favorite thing to say to a chanich/a is “let’s talk about that.” The chanichimot are great at articulating their feelings and I have been able to facilitate some very stimulating discussions with the above phrase. Another one I love is “say more.” Most of the time, the chanichimot are able to solve their own inner conflicts just by having a supportive ear to listen and encourage. It’s only our third day of touring and I feel that I have learned just as much, if not more, from the chanichim than I have been able to reach them.
That said, I love this opportunity to be a mentor. I love answering their questions. Everything from “what’s it like to vote in Israel” to “how do I order a falafel.” I especially love teaching them new Hebrew words and seeing their faces light up when they pronounce them correctly. Judaism is something that I am very knowledgeable about and I am thrilled to have participants that are so eager to learn.
Last night, we visited the Druze village. The chanichimot engaged in a very respectful and stimulating question and answer session with a secular Druze woman. I was equally impressed with their insightful questions and our speaker’s candor in answering them. My favorite example of this is when a participant asked about the sexuality of the Druze. Our speaker told us that homosexuality is not accepted in their community and that if you have sinned in a past life, you can be reincarnated as a homosexual. If I remember this response correctly, it would mean that the Druze believe that gay people are born gay, even if it is not accepted. This interaction had no air of awkwardness, rather someone wanted to learn and someone wanted to educate.
