Interviews: Favorites and Reflections
Click here to read what local Yeruchamites have to say about the Nativers who work with them to make this place so special and unique.
From Current Nativers:
We asked a few Nativers about their favorite things about volunteering, apartment living, Yerucham, and Israel. A few also wanted to add a word about Nativ itself.
Favorite part of volunteering-Nativers work in various schools in Yerucham, with the Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross), do maintenance around the town including upkeep of the local cemetery, and even the soup kitchen in nearby Dimona.
Ethan (cemetery): Helping the community. “really? you don’t have to say that.” “no, really. that’s my favorite part.”
Alex (cemetery): I feel like I’m doing a service that’s not the most exciting or interesting but I’m really helping the community here in a way that you wouldn’t normally think of, but a way that is meaningful to me.
Eric (cemetery): “I’m getting a nice tan, and it’s good quiet time-me time.”
Joey (cemetery): Working outside, and it’s nice to do a lot of the physical labor that the people here aren’t able to do because of their...seniority. It’s so much easier for three teenage guys to help dig a grave than an old man by himself, and it’s very rewarding.
Rebecca (elementary school): I really like working with the kids, and it’s really nice to see how they appreciate it. I can go into work feeling tired or sick, and I will leave with a huge smile on my face.
Adina (elementary school): The kids
David (elementary school): Helping other people learn while learning from them.
Josh (elementary school): Seeing the kids develop their English. I have already seen improvement and it's great.
Becky (gan): Having my kids come give me a hug and a kiss in the morning when I walk into the room
Sarah (gan): I really enjoy playing with the kids and getting to build a relationship with them, and I love when they get happy when I come into the room.
Seffi (gan): The kids are cute but they keep getting me sick.
Adam (gan): I like volunteering in Yerucham because it's like I am giving back to Eretz Yisrael in my own unique way." The best part of my job is is when I walk in and get smothered by a million Israeli 3 year olds shouting my name."
Ilana (gan): playing with the kids, obviously! And learning from Hebrew from them.
Jesse T (soup kitchen): I really enjoy the the feeling that I get when I see the difference I am making both in little and big ways. The fact that I can make a difference in two areas also is great, both in MADA and the soup kitchen. They both allow me to give back to Israel and feel a sense of accomplishment in two entirely different fields.
Michael (High School): My favorite part of working at Ort Sapir is helping kids with their English which then helps to strengthen my Hebrew.
Favorite part of apartment living-Nativers live in apartments with 6-10 other people, and they are responsible for cleaning, cooking, and making their house a home.
Ethan: Learning how to be independent and enjoying the company of my new roommates
Alex: It has helped me learn more about myself and how to deal with problems-it’s a part of life. Plus, I get to make everyone my guinea pigs when I cook something new-usually they don’t like it, but I’m still very persistent.
Eric: How much we all get along. “really?” “yeah, that’s honest. we all really do get along.”
Joey: I love the meals and going shopping every day because we have no foresight. Also, mattress talk. Like pillow talk, only not girly.
Rebecca: I have more independence than I’ve ever had. It’s nice to have responsibilities to cook and clean-if you don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.
Adina: Being able to develop a new sense of independence, and making decisions for myself that will affect other people, and seeing how nine girls can come together for a common purpose
David: Bonding and learning how to live on your own and with others.
Josh: Making dinner.
Becky: "It feels like a big, long sleepover, and I love those!"
Sarah: I like when we all get together and play games, and do apartment dinners...it’s living with all your best friends.
Seffi: Baking for myself and for my friends.
Adam: My favorite part about living in an apartment is the independence that goes with living without your mom doing laundry for you whenever you need it done.
Ilana: the fact that we live on our own, it's so cool.
Jesse T: Being able to cook for ourselves and just the general independence of doing what I want when I want.
Michael: Cooking for the whole apartment.Favorite part of Yerucham-a small desert town (population 9,500) about half an hour south of Be'er Sheva, with a close-knit community.
Ethan: Not having to worry about school, and hanging out in the south.
Alex: I feel like I have a very nice community, smaller, and I like talking to locals."It’s a unique opportunity to sink in my roots that I wouldn’t have in Jerusalem or some other big city."
Eric: The Nativers.
Joey: Running through it, seeing kids playing everywhere. It’s a very carefree neighborhood. As much as it is real life, it seems like the perfect place.
Rebecca: I think Yerucham is an amazing place to live. People are very friendly, and people know who we are. It’s very underrated, I think.
Adina: I’ve been to Israel many times to visit family around the Jerusalem area, but Yerucham gives me a sense of Israel that I’ve never seen before.
David: Making a difference in a small community and being welcomed in so warmly.
Josh: The small community and the fact that you see the same people over and over so you start to know them and they start to know you.
Becky: The friendliness of all the people who live here, and how they always smile when you walk by. They’re very welcoming.
Sarah: The park!
Seffi: The zip-line! No, just kidding, it's the fact that development towns in the Negev have supplanted kibbutzim as the Zionist dream. We're living in a melting pot of Jews from all over the world who are the proverbial bloom in the desert.
Adam: My favorite thing about Yerucham is its small, homey feel. Many cities in Israel have an abundance of distractions and touristy places. Yerucham is stripped of these and and what's left is the surface of a true Israeli development town in the middle of the desert.
Ilana: It's very personal and welcoming. Everyone knows everyone.
Jesse T: My favorite thing is the development town mentality here where everyone just helps each other and knows each other. Also the fact that it is a place that is truly making the desert bloom and is visibly achieving that through its improvements and expansions every year which is exciting to be a part of.
Michael: Living in a completely difference environment than I've lived in my whole life.
Favorite part of Israel-the homeland of the Jewish people is also the home of the Nativ College Leadership Program
Ethan: Living out here, you get a sense of being home. Not physically, but spiritually home.
Alex: It’s a completely different outlook on culture and life-there’s a lot to learn from the Israelis. The more time I spend here, the more I find I enjoy it, the more comfortable it becomes.
Eric: Living here
Joey: The concept, the dream. The whole country is built on idealism. You try to make your life here a dream because that’s the whole idea. If you want something, you’re willing to work to make something perfect.
Rebecca: Everything. I definitely made the right decision to come here for the year and experience something completely different.
Adina: I feel like I’m connected to the people and the land that I’m not anywhere else.
David: The experiences.
Josh: Everyone inherently trusts each other. "The culture here is rooted in so much tradition and everyone has so much pride in their country. It's beautiful."
Becky: Being surrounded by so many Jews, and having a special connection with everyone who is Jewish around you
Sarah: I like how you can go from one city to the next and see two different extremes: like Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and all the parts in between.
Seffi: Shwarma! That and the fact that it's our homeland as Jews and the most beautiful country in the world.
Adam: Its Jewish identity.
Ilana: the uniqueness-there's no other place like it
Jesse T: The mentality that your first impression is that they are trustworthy and also the mix of the type of people in Israel that make it a really diverse country with a lot of great different cultures. And of course the food.
Michael: I've realized on Nativ that my favorite part of Israel is experiencing the different aspects of culture that Israel has... and Israeli food.
On The Nativ College Leadership Program-a gap year between high school and college that includes learning, traveling, and volunteering in Israel.
Joey: The whole program is totally different than any other program-it’s not a tourist program. It’s really like living in Israel without having to worry about political problems or joining the army. You don’t live and die with every decision, so it’s a stress-free way to live here and still be a productive and contributing member of society.
Rebecca: Do it if you can. I feel 100% more prepared to go to college next year. It’s nice to have a year to mature and separate college from high school.
Becky: The people on Nativ are the best, and it’s a great program because we’re able to become part of the community in Yerucham instead of being a tourist
Sarah: I think it’s a really great program and it’s helped me to mature a lot. I don’t think I would have necessarily grown this way had I gone straight to college. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one is going to make you do but yourself.
David: I love being in Israel for the year, taking part in society and loving the culture.
Jesse T: The balance between independent and programming and also the way it allows for both the Jerusalem experience and the volunteering experience.
Josh: I love the people. The way the program is run gives us the perfect amount of independence while at the same time we still have responsibilities that are actually practical and not unnecessary.
Seffi: The fact that my experiences from the year will always be there for me to tell stories about, talk to my kids about, stuff like that.
Adam: My favorite part of Nativ...the friends you make that last a lifetime
Ilana:"Nativ gives you the opportunity to figure out who you are and who you want to be before college." By making decisions on Nativ, you figure out who you are or change who you are if you want.
Michael: My favorite part of Nativ is being completely independent for a year
From Current Nativers:
We asked a few Nativers about their favorite things about volunteering, apartment living, Yerucham, and Israel. A few also wanted to add a word about Nativ itself.
Favorite part of volunteering-Nativers work in various schools in Yerucham, with the Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross), do maintenance around the town including upkeep of the local cemetery, and even the soup kitchen in nearby Dimona.
Ethan (cemetery): Helping the community. “really? you don’t have to say that.” “no, really. that’s my favorite part.”
Alex (cemetery): I feel like I’m doing a service that’s not the most exciting or interesting but I’m really helping the community here in a way that you wouldn’t normally think of, but a way that is meaningful to me.
Eric (cemetery): “I’m getting a nice tan, and it’s good quiet time-me time.”
Joey (cemetery): Working outside, and it’s nice to do a lot of the physical labor that the people here aren’t able to do because of their...seniority. It’s so much easier for three teenage guys to help dig a grave than an old man by himself, and it’s very rewarding.
Rebecca (elementary school): I really like working with the kids, and it’s really nice to see how they appreciate it. I can go into work feeling tired or sick, and I will leave with a huge smile on my face.
Adina (elementary school): The kids
David (elementary school): Helping other people learn while learning from them.
Josh (elementary school): Seeing the kids develop their English. I have already seen improvement and it's great.
Becky (gan): Having my kids come give me a hug and a kiss in the morning when I walk into the room
Sarah (gan): I really enjoy playing with the kids and getting to build a relationship with them, and I love when they get happy when I come into the room.
Seffi (gan): The kids are cute but they keep getting me sick.
Adam (gan): I like volunteering in Yerucham because it's like I am giving back to Eretz Yisrael in my own unique way." The best part of my job is is when I walk in and get smothered by a million Israeli 3 year olds shouting my name."
Ilana (gan): playing with the kids, obviously! And learning from Hebrew from them.
Jesse T (soup kitchen): I really enjoy the the feeling that I get when I see the difference I am making both in little and big ways. The fact that I can make a difference in two areas also is great, both in MADA and the soup kitchen. They both allow me to give back to Israel and feel a sense of accomplishment in two entirely different fields.
Michael (High School): My favorite part of working at Ort Sapir is helping kids with their English which then helps to strengthen my Hebrew.
Favorite part of apartment living-Nativers live in apartments with 6-10 other people, and they are responsible for cleaning, cooking, and making their house a home.
Ethan: Learning how to be independent and enjoying the company of my new roommates
Alex: It has helped me learn more about myself and how to deal with problems-it’s a part of life. Plus, I get to make everyone my guinea pigs when I cook something new-usually they don’t like it, but I’m still very persistent.
Eric: How much we all get along. “really?” “yeah, that’s honest. we all really do get along.”
Joey: I love the meals and going shopping every day because we have no foresight. Also, mattress talk. Like pillow talk, only not girly.
Rebecca: I have more independence than I’ve ever had. It’s nice to have responsibilities to cook and clean-if you don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.
Adina: Being able to develop a new sense of independence, and making decisions for myself that will affect other people, and seeing how nine girls can come together for a common purpose
David: Bonding and learning how to live on your own and with others.
Josh: Making dinner.
Becky: "It feels like a big, long sleepover, and I love those!"
Sarah: I like when we all get together and play games, and do apartment dinners...it’s living with all your best friends.
Seffi: Baking for myself and for my friends.
Adam: My favorite part about living in an apartment is the independence that goes with living without your mom doing laundry for you whenever you need it done.
Ilana: the fact that we live on our own, it's so cool.
Jesse T: Being able to cook for ourselves and just the general independence of doing what I want when I want.
Michael: Cooking for the whole apartment.Favorite part of Yerucham-a small desert town (population 9,500) about half an hour south of Be'er Sheva, with a close-knit community.
Ethan: Not having to worry about school, and hanging out in the south.
Alex: I feel like I have a very nice community, smaller, and I like talking to locals."It’s a unique opportunity to sink in my roots that I wouldn’t have in Jerusalem or some other big city."
Eric: The Nativers.
Joey: Running through it, seeing kids playing everywhere. It’s a very carefree neighborhood. As much as it is real life, it seems like the perfect place.
Rebecca: I think Yerucham is an amazing place to live. People are very friendly, and people know who we are. It’s very underrated, I think.
Adina: I’ve been to Israel many times to visit family around the Jerusalem area, but Yerucham gives me a sense of Israel that I’ve never seen before.
David: Making a difference in a small community and being welcomed in so warmly.
Josh: The small community and the fact that you see the same people over and over so you start to know them and they start to know you.
Becky: The friendliness of all the people who live here, and how they always smile when you walk by. They’re very welcoming.
Sarah: The park!
Seffi: The zip-line! No, just kidding, it's the fact that development towns in the Negev have supplanted kibbutzim as the Zionist dream. We're living in a melting pot of Jews from all over the world who are the proverbial bloom in the desert.
Adam: My favorite thing about Yerucham is its small, homey feel. Many cities in Israel have an abundance of distractions and touristy places. Yerucham is stripped of these and and what's left is the surface of a true Israeli development town in the middle of the desert.
Ilana: It's very personal and welcoming. Everyone knows everyone.
Jesse T: My favorite thing is the development town mentality here where everyone just helps each other and knows each other. Also the fact that it is a place that is truly making the desert bloom and is visibly achieving that through its improvements and expansions every year which is exciting to be a part of.
Michael: Living in a completely difference environment than I've lived in my whole life.
Favorite part of Israel-the homeland of the Jewish people is also the home of the Nativ College Leadership Program
Ethan: Living out here, you get a sense of being home. Not physically, but spiritually home.
Alex: It’s a completely different outlook on culture and life-there’s a lot to learn from the Israelis. The more time I spend here, the more I find I enjoy it, the more comfortable it becomes.
Eric: Living here
Joey: The concept, the dream. The whole country is built on idealism. You try to make your life here a dream because that’s the whole idea. If you want something, you’re willing to work to make something perfect.
Rebecca: Everything. I definitely made the right decision to come here for the year and experience something completely different.
Adina: I feel like I’m connected to the people and the land that I’m not anywhere else.
David: The experiences.
Josh: Everyone inherently trusts each other. "The culture here is rooted in so much tradition and everyone has so much pride in their country. It's beautiful."
Becky: Being surrounded by so many Jews, and having a special connection with everyone who is Jewish around you
Sarah: I like how you can go from one city to the next and see two different extremes: like Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and all the parts in between.
Seffi: Shwarma! That and the fact that it's our homeland as Jews and the most beautiful country in the world.
Adam: Its Jewish identity.
Ilana: the uniqueness-there's no other place like it
Jesse T: The mentality that your first impression is that they are trustworthy and also the mix of the type of people in Israel that make it a really diverse country with a lot of great different cultures. And of course the food.
Michael: I've realized on Nativ that my favorite part of Israel is experiencing the different aspects of culture that Israel has... and Israeli food.
On The Nativ College Leadership Program-a gap year between high school and college that includes learning, traveling, and volunteering in Israel.
Joey: The whole program is totally different than any other program-it’s not a tourist program. It’s really like living in Israel without having to worry about political problems or joining the army. You don’t live and die with every decision, so it’s a stress-free way to live here and still be a productive and contributing member of society.
Rebecca: Do it if you can. I feel 100% more prepared to go to college next year. It’s nice to have a year to mature and separate college from high school.
Becky: The people on Nativ are the best, and it’s a great program because we’re able to become part of the community in Yerucham instead of being a tourist
Sarah: I think it’s a really great program and it’s helped me to mature a lot. I don’t think I would have necessarily grown this way had I gone straight to college. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one is going to make you do but yourself.
David: I love being in Israel for the year, taking part in society and loving the culture.
Jesse T: The balance between independent and programming and also the way it allows for both the Jerusalem experience and the volunteering experience.
Josh: I love the people. The way the program is run gives us the perfect amount of independence while at the same time we still have responsibilities that are actually practical and not unnecessary.
Seffi: The fact that my experiences from the year will always be there for me to tell stories about, talk to my kids about, stuff like that.
Adam: My favorite part of Nativ...the friends you make that last a lifetime
Ilana:"Nativ gives you the opportunity to figure out who you are and who you want to be before college." By making decisions on Nativ, you figure out who you are or change who you are if you want.
Michael: My favorite part of Nativ is being completely independent for a year