Friday-August 30th. The Old City

Friday was a free day. I spent the morning and afternoon at the Old City with Esther.
Info of the Old City

The Damascus Gate (There are 7 different gates)

Entrance to the Austrian Hospice

 We stopped at the Austrian Hospice for breakfast on the rooftop cafe.

Table with a view

A view from the rooftop

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We saw a few soldiers...

 This was a quiet day in the market...

Fresh Pomegranate juice

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Getting closer to the Wailing Wall...

The Wailing Wall

Sarah & Jeff will be going to the Wailing Wall

Getting ready to walk to the women's section of the wall...

This is a very powerful place...

 

Info on the Wailing Wall

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Mount of Olives

Apartments in the Jewish Quarter

Jewish Quarter

Part of the old wall

Synagogue

The Cardo from the old city

Replica of a mosaic map

The Cardo

Mural of the old Cardo

Thursday-August 29th. Student Village, Keshet Center & Kehilat Migvan

     Naama, Naama and I started our day with a drive south to Sderot. We met at a student village called "Ayalim" that is base on the model of community. Everyone lives in small student houses and is expected to volunteer work toward the community. They also have a goal to make the community accessible to persons with disabilities. There are paved paths to get around the "campus". There is handicap parking. We visited an apartment that also has a lift that brings someone in a wheelchair up high to the sink, allowing them to wash dishes and cook. The furniture is strong wood so it won't break from someone transferring themselves from a chair to a bed etc. A lot of the design has someone with a wheelchair in mind.

Some of the people that live in the student village

     The purpose is due to the fact that there are people that live in this community that experience a disability. Again, this is to show people with and without disabilities living together as equals, with some accommodations in mind. The three people we spoke to all want to attend Michlelet Sapir college. They have also volunteered in national service. The interesting thing is that they had to fight just to volunteer.

Naama and I at the Oasis

Ayalim- Student village

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                      

     Later in Sderot, we had a tour of the Keshet Center. It is a cross-disability recreation center that provides an accessible place for people with disabilities to do different types of art. They feel that art offers a way of self expression accessible to anyone.

      We met with a woman from the program that started our conversation with a song. She is blind and works in a factory. She is fighting for fair payment for the work she is doing. She facilitated the meeting and ran a workshop that is part of a project she is involved in. The goal is to give people that may not experience a disability empathy on what it would be like. She asked for a volunteer to be blindfolded, and a volunteer to be the assistant. Naama stated she would like to be blindfolded to give up some control, and Shmulik was her assistant. Her mission was to make coffee, and Shmulik couldn't assist her unless she asked. I also participated. It made me realize that making coffee can be terrifying...

Keshet Center

Keshet Center

                       

Keshet Center

 

We ended our tour at Kehilat Migvan or Community of variety. It is an urban Kibbutz that has individuals with disabilities living in the community. Everyone shared in resources to make the community. An example, was that everyone had to pay to have a nice road constructed. It was similar to cobblestone. You can share all of your money, or you don't have to. There was a dining hall in the middle of the community that had a large communal kitchen, and there was food set out buffet style. She explained that everyone shares the food and anyone in the community can come and eat. At the end of the month, they just pay their share. They had a freezer full of meat and a pantry fully stocked. Anyone can come get whatever they want. This community houses a large variety of people, most are educated and have strong ideologies. It felt very comfortable and inviting and everyone seemed genuinely happy when they saw each other in passing. This is a way of living that is becoming more and more common in Israel.

Lunch

Wednesday-August 28th. David Yellin College & Amichai

     Today was started in Jerusalem at David Yellin College. We were met by Shmulik, who will be accompanying Naama and Naama to the US for the exchange. Shmulik co-facilitates a series of courses that are directed at discussing and eventually leading to self advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Shmulik is a very motivated blooming activist, and also experiences a disability.
     One of the requirements for this course, is that you must be driven to make a change, but you also must have served in national service. The requirement of national service is due to the fact that all Israelis must volunteer in the national service. The course is integrated with students that do not have a (*diagnosed) disability. When the students are meeting for the first time, they all have one large thing in common. It starts to build dialog and gives students the feeling of equality.
 The course begins with self discovery and develops into individuals taking control of their own lives, and making changes for themselves. Everyone in the program has to write a research paper during the course, and they all do a community project around disability rights. One project was to set up support persons on buses to assist individuals that experience disabilities.  We spoke to graduates of the course, all experiencing a disability, and the teacher who co-facilitates with Shmulik. One individual has his BA. Others leave with the goal of gaining a higher education degree. All leave as future activists.

 

    In the afternoon we visited Amutat Amichai in Hod Hasharon. They provide community based services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. We saw their day program where the individuals come and spend the day. They all assist in making high quality ceramic pieces to sell, and the money provides income to do community based activities such as going to the coffee shop.
     The individuals that go to the "vocational program" also live in shared houses. What would be considered a "group home" in Oregon. This is a very new program in Israel. Most people with disabilities either live together in groups in a hostel, which is not very personal. Or they have to live in an institution, which seems to be even less desirable.  People don't get to choose where they live, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Service decides.
The two houses we visited were set up so everyone has their own room that suites their personality. Everyone gets to choose a leisure activity for the evening and is responsible to choosing one chore as well. The purpose is to give people a choice, and the feeling of community. Amichai is also in the process of building a large facility that will serve as a community center for individuals for people with disabilities. This project was started by a father, that had a vision..

Click here for Amichai's website

Click her for the David Yellin College website
An article from the Jerusalem Post discussing the closer of an institution housing people with disabilities. (Bizchut was a part of this)
The Weinberg Foundation is also involved

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*I stated "diagnosed" disability due to the fact that everyone experience some sort of disability. For example, me as an American who doesn't speak Hebrew and doesn't know Israel, has a disability. People that interpret for me, and help with transportation/culture are providing an accommodation. 

We should be treating everyone as equals, and sometimes providing accommodations. 

 

Tuesday-August 27th. Conversations.

     Today was a big day of conversations. I end it feeling inspired and overwhelmed with ideas and questions about our "system" in place for supporting individuals that experience a disability. Not to say that it is all bad. But I think there is so much more that can be done.

     I started at Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono meeting with Dr. Shira, Naama, Judy (from Ono) and Naama from Bizchut (I'll keep last names private). I also met with a man named Yoav who is an activist, a teacher at Ono and David Yellin College (Jerusalem) who teaches nine different classes, most on disability rights and advocacy. He also has a job in the government and is a respected and inspirational person. Talking with him was both challenging and rewarding, because he has a lot of insightful things to say and tough questions to ask. Incidentally, he was also diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. This last fact is irrelevant to anything else. Because he is a person doing amazing things. But I think it is important to mention, because if you didn't know him, and judged him on his appearance, you may not even consider talking to him.
     Ono Academic College is doing wonderful and ground breaking work, as far as offering quality education to groups of individuals that may not have otherwise gained adequate education. One example, is that they have a class that is teaching marketable skills to a group of young adults with Apergers. Once they are done with the program, they will be able to gain meaningful employment that suites their unique skills. The point is not to look at people's disabilities, but to focus on the ABILITY. It is a huge difference and a way of thinking.
     I also met Shmulik today, who is a wonderful man who is one of Full Access' partner in the work exchange that will be visiting the US, along with Naama and Naama. His goal is to learn as much as he can about self advocacy and teaching others how to do the same. Self advocacy is not as simple as it sounds, as I am learning. It can relate to making small choices on your own, all the way to learning about policy around disability rights and working to change policy. Shmulik teaches a course on self advocacy for people with disabilities (but I will talk more about that later). Shmulik is considered an expert due to the fact that he himself experiences a cognitive disability.

American Embassy Lobby

   
     After Ono we met with the American Embassy in Tel Aviv and discussed what we are doing and what the goals for the exchange are.


 

     I did get to spend some time with Shmulik, Esther and Shira walking around Tel Aviv. Something I have been doing on a regular basis in Israel is "getting a coffee". The coffee here is good. We also sat next to the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful, and served as a good place to continue conversation.

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, in the distance is Jaffa

 Info on Tel Aviv, Israel

Coffee! A necessity today.

Shira and Shmulik

Shmulik and I

Tel Aviv has lots of "self expression" painted on buildings.

Tel Aviv by the Sea & Boardwalk.

The Beach and the Mediterranean Sea

Shmulik and I by the Mediterranean Sea

  

 Later on in the evening we met with Akim Israel in Holon. They are a large organization that was started by parents of persons with intellectual disabilities. They are becoming a model for others in Israel. Akim runs an advocacy workshop for individuals. They also work with a lawyer and her students assisting parents and individuals with disabilities in learning about their rights and advocating for them on different levels. They have a parent run hotline where parents can call in and get peer advice on different subjects, and hope to have one for the individuals who experience disabilities themselves.

Akim Israel Advocacy Workshop