Coming from an American background, I know very well how demanding the SATs can be. Preparation means many hours of enrichment and tutoring sessions. If only I had gone to Ashkelon before 11th grade, I would have learned the wonderful value of group study.
The Ethiopian National Project funds a special program called סיוע לימודים, or Learning Assistance, that helps prepare students for the Bagrut exam. What surprised me was that while American SAT includes math, reading and writing, the Bagrut includes Bible Study and Jewish History, among other subjects. This year, in the Ashkelon area alone there are 475 students enrolled in the study group program, and 80 are in academic enrichment classes, or Atidim עתידים. I had the privilege to talk with the students about their work, and they pulled out their notes, full of Torah passages they were studying. They also have to learn drama and literary texts, and this brought me back in time to my studies of Antigone and other Greek tragedies in the States. I can't even imagine what they sound like in Hebrew. When I introduced myself and told them where I came from, one student mentioned she had visited the United States only a few months ago, through a special correspondence program with Ashkelon's sister city, Baltimore. Her face lit up as she described her visit, taking in the local sites with her friends. The previous summer, ten children from the Baltimore area made an exciting trip to Israel, and throughout the year, the groups keep in touch.
These two elements were only a small cross-section of ENP programming here, since most of the groups had already let out, and the rest were eager to prepare for their exams. However, you can experience the impact of these programs by the candid responses of the children. They're certainly enjoying what ENP has to offer. I couldn't even tell if they enjoyed the fact that I gave them a few minute's break when I interrupted their class to meet them.
The Ethiopian National Project funds a special program called סיוע לימודים, or Learning Assistance, that helps prepare students for the Bagrut exam. What surprised me was that while American SAT includes math, reading and writing, the Bagrut includes Bible Study and Jewish History, among other subjects. This year, in the Ashkelon area alone there are 475 students enrolled in the study group program, and 80 are in academic enrichment classes, or Atidim עתידים. I had the privilege to talk with the students about their work, and they pulled out their notes, full of Torah passages they were studying. They also have to learn drama and literary texts, and this brought me back in time to my studies of Antigone and other Greek tragedies in the States. I can't even imagine what they sound like in Hebrew. When I introduced myself and told them where I came from, one student mentioned she had visited the United States only a few months ago, through a special correspondence program with Ashkelon's sister city, Baltimore. Her face lit up as she described her visit, taking in the local sites with her friends. The previous summer, ten children from the Baltimore area made an exciting trip to Israel, and throughout the year, the groups keep in touch.
These two elements were only a small cross-section of ENP programming here, since most of the groups had already let out, and the rest were eager to prepare for their exams. However, you can experience the impact of these programs by the candid responses of the children. They're certainly enjoying what ENP has to offer. I couldn't even tell if they enjoyed the fact that I gave them a few minute's break when I interrupted their class to meet them.
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