Reciprocity and Russians

Half of my volunteer opportunities take place in the Sdot Negev Region, a boarding town of Netivot. This area was greatly impacted by the quasam rockets during Operation Castled last winter. I volunteer at the Robert Saligman Center in Sdot Negev 2x a week by working one on one with children who need a little extra attention learning English. I find my time with the children very rewarding and educational. Whenever I am uncertain of a Hebrew word, I look it up in my dictionary or ask the child “Mah Tze” (What’s This?).

On Wednesday, I worked with two boys who were in 6th grade. Our 45 minute session began with reading an English article about a boat and sailors and then answering the respective questions. Once we finished their homework, one of the boys grabbed a basic Hebrew reader book from the library shelf (our tutoring sessions take place in the library). The boy said my Hebrew skills were bad and that I needed to practice reading and speaking Hebrew. I agreed to let them teach me in return for them translating the story into English. They were genuinely invested in me learning Hebrew and continued to be patient while I sounded out foreign words. Normally, I would have not allowed this role reversal but since they were translating the story into English I felt this was ok. I am hoping to find someone in Netivot who will teach me Hebrew in return for me helping them improve their English skills.

Today (Thursday), Shaina and I were considering hiking it to Beer Sheva to go to the movies. Beer Sheva is about a 30 minute bus ride away; There are no movie theaters in Netivot. This entire ordeal would end up pretty expensive once you add up bus fare, taxi rides, tickets, and probably some candy and soda. Instead, we decided to explore Netivot and get in touch with our home for the remaining two months (yes, we have been living there for one month now!). This began with shopping on Smello Street (commonly referred to as 5th Ave). Some may consider our trip unsuccessful since we did not purchase anything, but we found great enjoyment trying on countless outfits.
Later in the afternoon, we came across a Russian store that sold everything from Russian candies to cheese. The Russian store owners kept offering us candy to eat and of course we accepted and then bought a kilos worth. Nice Marketing! On our way home, we stopped at a few more Russian stores only to discover some not so kosher items in this very religious town. Top finds include frozen shrimp and some kind of pork product with the three little pigs on the front. Shaina and I can’t wait to buy some Russian ingredients and cook ourselves a meal reminiscent of the old country. Overall, I think our Russian shopping spree was still cheaper than a day out in Beer Sheva.