The War Effort Volunteering in Agriculture

Yes, that's me. I asked one of 
my fellow volunteers to 
photograph me

I finally had an east logistics opportunity to volunteer for the war effort. Our regional council, like an American county, Mateh Binyamin arranged for senior citizens, new and veteran immigrants to Israel to volunteer in the "packing house" of Tekoa, best known for its top quality mushrooms. 

Actually Chavat Tekoa was established by my neighbors' sons, who still own it.

I packaged mushrooms, then cauliflower so that they could be sold. It was important for me to do a really good job. It looks like it'll be a weekly event, but I won't be able to go. Wednesday is the day I study in Matan. Last week was the semester break, so I was really lucky to have such an opportunity.

Local Democracy in Action!

And not for the first time... actually this is getting close to the 30th time I've been involved in local elections. OK at least about twenty-five times in various guises. Our way of electing the local Shiloh council aka המזכירות Hamazkirut has changed over the decades.

This is my favorite and only (in recent years) voluntary position, ועדת קלפי Va'adat Kalpi, the Election Board. It's a time restricted job lasting about twenty-one 21 days, barring the need for an extension, and gives me the enjoyable experience of meeting and greeting lots of neighbors of all ages and neighborhoods. Sometimes the process leading up to elections, the nominating, is quick and easy, and other years it causes lots of aggravation. When we have questions, we contact a government office, since the committee is subservient to that government department.

Davka, this year I had thought that I had been "retired" from the position and responsibility when a committee headed by someone I had trained last year was appointed. But, for reasons never clear to me, that committee disbanded without holding elections, and I was asked to volunteer yet again. All the committee had succeeded in doing was to prepare and decorate this gorgeous ballot box.

Will I run the elections next year? I don't know.

PS Thanks to all the committee members and volunteers who helped us!!

Wonderful Shiloh, Wonderful Neighbors

Last night was the annual "honoring volunteers of the year" ceremony in Shiloh.  Lots of neighbors came to celebrate the wonderful volunteerism that  exists here in Shiloh.

It started off praising those who either as volunteers or beyond the call of duty in their jobs helped others during the great blizzard of Tevet 5774, December 2013.

People were praised for finding car-owners willing to charge phones, the young and not so young who helped dig out cars, clean driveways and paths, the librarian who opened the library to even though she didn't have to, the extra hours and difficult conditions the doctor and nurses worked, the medics, ambulance drivers and tractor driver who worked non-stop, the grocers who made sure there was always something to buy, the people who ran activities for children out of school and pre-schools, the ones who delivered food to those who couldn't cook, the electric company workers who not only fixed the high tension towers but flew in emergency generators and the locals who hosted them, making sure they had hot food.  The list goes on...

In addition there were the standard, planned awards.

Photo by Miriam Feyga Bunimovich

Photo by Chaia

Photo by
 Miriam Feyga Bunimovich

I was there to present the "Volunteer of the Year-Torah Study Award" to the neighbor who has been organizing our Shabbat Women's Class, "The Shiur Nashim," שיעור נשים for at least twenty of its thirty-two years.

Yaffa Tzoref receiving her gift.
Photo by Chaia

Since I'm in the year of mourning for my mother and restricted from attending festive occasions, I was only there for the beginning during which I had a specific job to do.  Just before I left, the volunteer who has been organizing activities for seniors, social, cultural and an ulpan, also received recognition and a gift. She certainly deserves it and more. I don't know else was awarded.  But one thing for sure, we made the right decision moving to Shiloh. It is a wonderful place to live.  Chessed, giving to others is part of daily life here.

Photos not credited are my own photography.

"Volunteerism"

One of the things I like about living in Shiloh is the community spirit. Of course, when we first arrived here, we were all about the same age with young children or expecting the firstborns. At that time, twenty-seven and a half years ago, there wasn't much more than a fifteen year age span from oldest to youngest adults.

Today, even though our record-breaking over one hundred year old resident is now buried in the cemetery, we have a number of people in their eighties and also some couples who are still in their teens or early twenties.

Yes, today's Shiloh is different from the one we moved to, but some things are the same. It's still a community with opportunities and the need for volunteers.

My favorite committee is the Election committee. Like Brigadoon, it comes and goes. Every year or so, before local elections, there's a town meeting to choose "Va'adat Kalpi," the Election Board. I've been running elections here for about twenty years. It used to be among the responsibilities of the Appointments Committee, but then it was discovered that the department of the Ministry of the Interior had certain procedures they demanded, and we hadn't been doing it correctly.

The Election Board is a temporary status, generally only for twenty-one days. If we need an extension, we must contact the proper government official. If someone here decides that a "mistake" was made, we're called in for investigation. It's not pleasant and a real waste of time. That's one of the reasons I keep getting appointed, technically voted in by the Town Meeting.

For good or for bad, people trust me and know that I'll stick to the rules and not play games. Also, I know the rules. I learned them from a neighbor who is an expert in law. She trained me.

My computer has the standard announcement in its memory. Each time, I just have to make a few changes.

I don't mind doing it for a few reasons. One is that the committee only exists for a few weeks, so it's not a long-term commitment. Another is that there isn't a paid person doing the same thing here. I refuse to volunteer for anything that has salaried workers doing the same. My time is no less valuable. And lastly, I feel confident that everything will be according to law when I run the elections.