VOLUNTEERING
IN ISRAEL No. 3----AUG 2007
8/2/07
My dear family and friends
I am on my way to Israel to volunteer on the Army
base for the 3rd time, i stopped for few days in Lisbon -Portugal to learn
about this
city, walking 7 hills reminded me San Franscisco and Cape
Town. Weather is very hot and very dry,
30-40 C, it is
a lot of plazas-round or square with a lot of streets coming in and out
and a lot of monuments, sculptures and art, very charming and beautiful European
city. I used modern, quiet and very comfortable metro, took citi,s buses and trams,and tours of Lisbon and
day trips out of Lisbon along Atlantic ocean and historic town
inland.
I learned that Portugal was neutral during 2nd world war and took about 50 000 jewish refugees from Germany and France.
I listen to Fado-typical melancholic Portugeese singing
in the club,
It was a very nice and interesting 5
days.
Now i am in Israel volunteering on the Army base, please call me , in
Israel 057-350-1202 from US 011-972-57-350-1202 we are 7 hours ahead of NY
love Inna
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volunteering
8/18/07
My dear family and friends
this is my visit to Israel # 10 and volunteering #
3
our day:
breakfast at 7 am
Flag raising, news briefing
work
lunch at 12
work
dinner at 6
after, lectures or movies or
social
we live in simple baracks, 4- 6 people in the room, AC
present, shower and toilet in separate house, one has to
walk,
we eat in a huge dining room together with soldiers and
officers, plenty of vegetables, fruits, mediterranian dishes,
buffet style,
i was at Tel Hashomer medical supply base, so we sort and
pack medical supply in a very big heavy medical knapsacks for paramadics and doctors who carry it on their back on the
front line, the knapsack with a lot of pockets of
different sizes, folding and unfolding is an art of design by
itself,
volunteers work very fast, efficient, with a lot of love,
being useful,
volenteers i met are from so many countries: South Africa, US, Canada,UK, Denmark, Holland, than thousands of French and Russians from
Russia,
in our group the oldest was 90 years old,the youngest 14 who came with her father,
out of 36 volunteers 12 were not born Jews, some converted, some do
not,
people are so nice, so spiritual, so interesting, taking time , buying tickets to come and help
Israel,
on august 9 in Jerusalem we celebrated 25 th anniversary of this organization Sar El, it was such an emotional and beautiful convention of thousands of volunteers from all over the
world in 4 languages- Hebrew, English, French and Russian, 15,000 volunteers came in 25 years, jews and non
jews, with so much love and support for Israel, everything was organized so well on a very high
level, to be part of this event and and to go to my
friend's Samanta Lazarus elegant and beautiful wedding
in Tel Aviv Port was worth it of my suffering from heat of 90-95 F or 40-45 C,
i also took tours of Northern Israel and Christian
places, visited 9 families of my relatives and many friends walked through the world only Biblical Landscape Reserve - Neot Kedumim, drove through a very modern campus of Weizman Institute of
Science,
there are so much history and so much modernity in
Israel- 100th smallest country on Earth, only 60 years old, the only democracy in the Middle East but contributes so
much to the welfare of the world and what we use in our every day
life: in medicine, technology, energy, security and it goes on
and on, it is truly a marvel of our
time,
now i am back at home, had a stop for few hours in
Madrid, took a tour of this magnificient city which was planed
and build like Paris with a lot of palaces, very wide boulvars and
plazas, beautifuly decorated buildings, a lot af art , parks and
flowers,
much love to all and Shana Tova, Inna
1. i got my epolets
2. our group
3.dining room
4.volunteers, left to right, 14 years old, 90 years old, 74 years old, 20 years old
5. i am raising Israeli flag
From: Haskel Lookstein, Rabbi
<RHL@ckj.org>
Date: Aug 18, 2007 9:22 PM
Subject: RE: # 2
Israel---volunteering
To: inna bakker
<innabakker@gmail.com>
On 8/22/07, Koides <koides@wombat.zaq.ne.jp> wrote:
Dear Inna,
Hello, We hope you are tireless and doing fine back home after volunteering at an army camp in Israel.
As always your reports and photos from the front are lively and impressive. It is amazing to know that very old people can be active enough to serve our society depending on their physical and mental conditions, and their own beliefs. Thank you again for sharing your precious experiences with us.
Re: Thank you for your reports and photos
Reply |inna bakker to Koides
8/23/07
Thank you very much
i saw a lot of Japanese tourists in Israel, many groups and i will fw to you a very interesting imail from Japan,
be well, regard, Inna
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From: Effreilich@aol.com
To: innabakker@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: # 2 Israel---volunteering
Thanks for your beautiful email. Welcome home! Estelle
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On 8/18/07, Andrea Klein <andrea.klein@randtech.com> wrote:
Wow...how wonderful. Thanks for keeping me in the loop. How do you join this volunteer group and how long are the stays?
abk
inna bakker to Andrea
show details 8/18/07
Dear Andrea
nice to hear from you
web site www.vfi-usa.org
minimum 2 weeks, no maximum
how are you? how is your life?
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On 8/18/07, Pamela Lazarus <pamelalazarus@hotmail.com> wrote:
I love reading your journals, Inna. No matter where you go, what you see, you always make it so personal for your readers; & everyone can really feel what you feel.
We arre so very happy that you were here & could arrange your trip so you could be at Samantha's wedding. It was very special for us that you were here.
Be well--I'll call you when I'm in NY.
Love,
Pam
Reply 8/18/07
thank you
it was so wonderful,
hope to see you soon
helping Russians to go volunteering from US,
love, Inna
From: Len Rifkind
To: inna bakker
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 4:59 PM
Subject: RE: # 2 Israel---volunteering
Inna,
The trip sounds so interesting. I am particularly impressed with the volunteering for Sar El. I am trying to put together a leader's trip from my synagogue for next late Spring or early Summer, for 10 days, and think it would be great if we spent a day or two doing the same volunteer work.
Len
Leonard A. Rifkind, Esq.
Rifkind Chitsaz, LLP
790 Mission Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. 415.485.2200, ext. 582
Fax. 415.453.7605
Email: LRIFKIND@MLPLAW.COM
Reply |Inna to Len
8/21/07
Dear Len
thank you for reply, with Sar El no volunteering for 1-2 days. minimum 2 weeks but I will fw your email to Pamela Lazarus in Israel coordinator of Sar El program and we became very good friends, maybe she has an idea for your tipy of volunteering for 1-2 days.
mom called me and she sounds very good, what is your assesment
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From: EUGENE ZAUBER
To: inna bakker
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: # 2 Israel---volunteering
Dear Inna.
How nice to receive this report. In 2001 I was at Tel Hashomer medical supply base also, it is one of the bases where we work hard and enjoyable.
Thank you telling us about Sar El and all celebration. You are refreshing our filling and memory.
Best wishes, keep in tach,
Eugene
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From: ahuva Tal hollander
To: inna bakker
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:37 PM
Subject: Re: # 2 Israel---volunteering
it's amazing to read your email. Full of enthusiasm and love for our little country.
Thank you SO much,
L'hit.....
Ahuva
Reply:
thank you
little and great because of people and achievements,
I have a long list of them.
inna
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Reply |inna bakker to tziby
show details 8/27/07
Dear Tziby
finaly i got this photo
it was so nice to spend time with you and to know all good news,enjoy and stay well
love Inna
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