Kulanu Baaretz: Hike to Ein Madu

We survived our first hike, and even had some fun!!

Kenny"s Thoughts on Kulanu Baaretz

I am most proud of how the kibbutz has opened their hearts and homes to Kulanu. People are genuinely concerned, supportive and willing to lend a helping hand wherever they can. The students are a part of this community, and they are truly standing on their own, without shadows, because they don't need them. At work, they have to produce, just like anyone else and they are there as true contributors, not just as a chesed. So whatever they do has to count but at the same time, there needs to be support and understanding of their needs. I am also so proud to be a part of a program where students are so quickly learning to be independent. I see kids helping kids out, waking up each other to go to davening. I see a student who at the beginning of the program, when he was the only one who arrived at davening on time, said, "Well I'm here, that's all that matters". Three weeks later, when he was still the only one there at 8:00, he went back to the dorm, with his tefilin on, to wake up the rest of his peers. This shows a true sense of being a part of community. And that's really what makes the world go round. That's what makes us survive as a community. We are seeing students become a part of a community in the real sense of the word.