Next week, I'm going home to the states. That is an amazing feeling. I love it here, but Dorothy put it best: there's no place like home. I've been living in Israel now for the past 8 months, but unlike my previous stay here of about 7 months from 2011-2012, I'm leaving with a much deeper understanding of this nation and its people. I feel like I know the real Israel now, and not just the well-to-do of Ramat Aviv. And it's really all thanks to YEDID.
I've had the unique opportunity to meet people and visit places that I would have never encountered had I remained in my bubble. I didn't know that such a thing as an underserved Bedouin community existed a couple hours from the center of one of the most booming tech industries in the world. I didn't know that many of the immigrants here trying to make a better life simply fabricate an asylum story to avoid deportation. We hear the phrase used a lot, but it's very difficult to actually put yourself in someone else's shoes; to try to understand their struggle. And I feel fortunate to have been able to come very close to that experience with the help of my friends at YEDID. The most remarkable individuals that I've met throughout this time have without a doubt been YEDID's clients. Their resilience and determination in the face of adversity has been really inspiring. To see single mothers, coming straight to YEDID's Citizen Rights Center from work, with kids in tow, seeking solutions to their financial problems by pressing harder on a system that's tried its best got get of rid of them already - makes me want to never complain about being tired again. Sitting in with a group of mostly Russian and Ethiopian women engaged in a fiery debate over how to best deal with rude customer service reps from the utility company reminds me that sharing our common experiences is one of the most powerful tools for overcoming tough times and frustration. The ear-to-ear smiles of immigrants showing me their final class projects before graduating from a jewelry school founded just for them, reminds me of the powerful effect that a sense of accomplishment can have on one's will and self-detemination. For me, all of this has meant so much more than the great shopping, cafes, and beaches that litter the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv. This has given me a genuine connection to the heart of Israel.
Of course behind the scenes of every amazing YEDID success story are the employees and volunteers themselves. It's easy in today's society to forget that there are people who dedicate their spare time and professions to helping others. The most striking aspect of the work being done in the centers that I've witnessed is the psychological aspect. Helping those who have fallen so deep into a cycle of despair and disillusionment after being rejected by a painfully bureaucratic system, that they barely have the energy left to help themselves, and refusing to give up on those who've given up. That takes real strength and real faith. And it takes real courage for a small group of lawyers and social activists to take the Knesset to task on a regular basis, or local politicians whose interests needn't stretch any further than the next election cycle, when taking them on serves the needs of their clients. It requires a refined level of mental toughness to listen to peoples' problems day in and day out. It's emotionally burdensome and draining. It is the type of work that can only be done by those who truly care to see an improved quality of life in their communities. And it's a wonderful sight to behold.
So as I prepare to say goodbye, this is a short love letter to Israel and YEDID. Living here has provided a spectacular boost to my faith in a couple regards. The climate and the bulk of the people share a common bond - they're both undeniably warm. And The Holy Land is an eye-opening and reverent place for me to live as a Christian, affording the chance to breathe the same air, walk the same ground, and wade in the same waters that I believe Jesus Christ did during His time on earth. To be honest this has been something that my heart and my spirituality really needed this year, and I literally couldn't have gotten it anywhere else in the world. But something that I think we all need from time to time, regardless of our spiritual faiths, is a boost to our faith in humanity. To be able to reconnect to what it is that connects us all anyway. To embrace service to others and community in a way that reminds us that injustice anywhere really is a threat to justice everywhere. This is what YEDID has done for me personally over the past few months. And for that I'm forever grateful.
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