From South to North: Fun Day for Makom BaLev and Oraita Teens

17 Jul 2014
Chaim Pelzner (standing on right), OU Israel Director of Programming met with teens from Oraita in Ofakim and Makom BaLev in Sderot and Kiryat Gat. Photo credit: Abba Richman

The day began with a warning siren in Kiryat Gat. The teens all got off the bus and took cover. They knew what to do. The most experienced among them – from Sderot – made sure that everyone’s smiles returned.

“Our ‘day away’ in the north was everything we hoped,” says Racheli Ninio, director of training and content for Makom BaLev. “The kids had a great time. The reality of their life ‘down south’ faded away for the day. Everyone had fun which was enriched by moments of faith and friendship.”

Rafting on the Jordan River. Photo credit: Abba Richman

These teens who have been dodging rockets for months couldn’t get over the organization and planning the OU Israel staff put into their special day. “They kept thanking us,” Ninio says. “Their gratitude and appreciation showed on their faces.”

Read the full story on the OU Israel website.