We started off this activity by talking about Tel Aviv and its origin. During our walking tour, led by Elliot Glassenberg, we discussed many aspects of Tel Aviv – how Tel Aviv wasn’t only skyscrapers and beaches and that there are those who are less fortunate and are struggling.
We began by walking through parts of Tel Aviv that most people usually don’t see. We saw the parts of Tel Aviv where people are less fortunate and face many challenges in their daily lives. We walked through a neighborhood known as Neve Shaanan. This is a neighborhood where there are many people who have come to Israel as refugees, don’t have money and are doing hard work to support their families and community. Throughout this walk we saw optimistic signs of residents working together to provide for one another.
We then stopped at the end of the walk to talk about what we saw. We talked about different factors in one’s life that could be challenging and cause hardship and struggle. One of the factors Elliot pointed out was being a refugee and not native of Israel. We learned that many times, being a refugee in Israel can stop you from enjoying benefits that other citizens take for granted. Things like being able to have a driver’s license, a work permit, and health insurance. Many people are struggling because of things they cannot control.
To end the activity Elliot then brought us to BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change refugee educational center and he introduced us to Usumain Baraka, a refugee from Darfur who fled to Israel after escaping the genocide there. This talk, along with our walk through the neighborhood, helped us learn a lot and gain perspective as to what it is like being a refugee in Israel and what challenges you may face.