Children’s Village Teen Service Trip – Day 2
By: Emily Amato
On our first full day in Karmiel, Israel, we started out the day at 9AM by traveling to the city of Haifa. Our first stop there was the Baha’i Gardens which were so beautiful. We learned from our guide, Tomer, about the history of the Baha’i faith and how they separated themselves from Islam.
The view from the gardens was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me and the pictures turned out great! Next, we walked through the town to the best falafel restaurant in all of Israel. I had never tasted it before so it was a new taste for me. I ended up liking the falafel and the pita! Then we went to a small pastry shop down the street and tasted different sorts of sweets that were different from American desserts. After that, we were all eager to return to meet our families back in the Children’s Village.
Tsipy took me to the Assaf family’s home, which is very close to our little house. The father in our household welcomed me and introduced me to a few of the children, and the rest of them were still at school. The father showed me around the house and shortly after, the rest of the children arrived with the mother. The kids were shy at first, but after I while, they began to familarize themselves with me. The father took out his guitar and played several Beatle’s songs as I sang along, which is one of my favorite things to do! But the special thing about this day was the Porem celebration. All of the kids dressed up for a festival similar to our Halloween. The family and I walked down to the basketball court where each family performed a little song and in the end, one family won! When that part was over, everyone moved over to the soccer court and participated in different games in each booth that was set up. Seeing all of the kids in their costumes was really fun for me and it was a great experience!
The first full day in The Children’s Village was a great memory and I am so excited to see what Tsipy has in store!