Teamwork

Today I had the greatest fortune of experiencing a moment of humility when I, as an older "wiser" volunteer was taught the true meaning of working together and supporting each other by a group of kids at the home in Afula. Today the home brought in life size mind games for the kids to do, to make good use of free time during their summer vacation. As a major nerd who gets a thrill over these games, I was excited to work through them with the kids with the utmost excitement. However, to my dismay the kids seemed to have little interest at first in playing with these brain teasers. After playing on my own for some time, I heard a voice come from behind me directing me where to strategically place a block into the puzzle of a life size Tetris board. Without my knowing, Nehorai , an 11 year old boy who has difficulty trusting others, had been watching me the entire time while I was playing following my every move, however not venturing to play himself. Standing with Nehorai was four of his friends, who like him have a hard time trusting people beyond their inner circle of comrades. One by one, each of them starting giving me suggestions on where I should place the blocks and explaining why their strategy made the most sense. Soon the game was taken over by the efforts of these boys and my face was taken over by a smile. They encouraged each other, assisted each other, and invigorated each other to continue until they figured it out and solved the puzzle. As volunteers in the home we hope to give these kids a fun and carefree summer experience, one that gives them more than just memories, but moreover one that gives them friendships, skills, and values that they can carry with them for the rest of the their lives. However, it is important for us to remember and recognize that though these kids are in the toughest of life circumstances, they also have a lot to teach us, and that no matter how intricate and difficult life may get, we came here and will continue to come to build the comradery of Am Yisrael. Nehorai and his friends showed me that there is no obstacle and boundary that we cannot overcome when we work together as a nation. Though this was only a brain teaser game, today's activity reinforced my confidence of the fact that these kids will grow up to be leaders, encouragers, and supporters one day, and that we are fortunate to be able to learn and grow from them everyday.