Goodwill Ambassadors Share Secrets Of Israel

STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER w @NWASamantha
Scouts from the Tzofim Friendship Caravan sing Thursday, July 25, 2013, at Lawrence Plaza in Bentonville during a stop on the performance group's tour. The group of teens is one of four traveling performance groups of Israeli Scouts who dance and sing to songs about friendship and Israel. The performance was sponsored by the Arkansas Jewish Federation and hosted by both Congregation Etz Chaim of Bentonville and Temple Shalom in Fayetteville.
STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER w @NWASamantha Scouts from the Tzofim Friendship Caravan sing Thursday, July 25, 2013, at Lawrence Plaza in Bentonville during a stop on the performance group's tour. The group of teens is one of four traveling performance groups of Israeli Scouts who dance and sing to songs about friendship and Israel. The performance was sponsored by the Arkansas Jewish Federation and hosted by both Congregation Etz Chaim of Bentonville and Temple Shalom in Fayetteville.

The dark-haired teen came over, singing a beautiful song. She grasped the hand of several audience members. These weren’t just handshakes; her hand held on and rubbed in a comforting, connecting way.

Lauren Levine of Bentonville didn’t know the words of the song, but she understood the emotion and actually teared up. The girl, Avia Kune, hugged Levine.

Later Kune explained her emotion. “We were singing about Israel,” she said. “In the song, we were remembering Israel, and we miss it.”

Kune is part of the Tzofi m Friendship Caravan. Ten high school students traveling this country to share a bit about their own; in all, four groups travel the States. Kun explained that all are members of and represent the Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation, similar to Scouting traditions in the United States. “Tzofim” means scout, Kune explained.

“Our goal is to bring a taste of Israel, strengthen the bond between our countries,” said Nimrod Niv, one of two 20-something counselors traveling with the group. “It’s easy to hear bad things about Israel — everyone knows about the Israeli army and the Palestinian confl ict. But we think it’s important to show you the good things.

“Every country has its problems,” he added.

The caravan group performed Thursday night at Lawrence Plaza in Bentonville and Friday morning for children at the Boys & Girls Club of Bentonville.

Their upbeat performance included singing, dancing and lightning-quick costume changes. Many of the songs are in Hebrew, but an American compilation included songs from “Sesame Street,” “Mary Poppins,” “Sponge-Bob SquarePants,” “Madagascar” and The Beatles — during which the female members of the group wore brightly colored tutus as they sang.

The show ended with the singing of the Israeli national anthem as troop members displayed the nation’s fl ag.

During every song, the teens moved into the audience to dance with the enthusiastic children. As they changed costumes, video of Israel filled the time.

“It’s big,” Kaleb Gallaway said he learned about Israel during the performance.

“They’re nice,” added his friend Andrew Gomez.

Levine, a member of Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville, said she hopes the program helps develop an awareness of Judaism in the area.

“Being Jewish is more than just religion,” she said. “It’s our culture. And this region is not educated in Judaism, so it’s important we offer this to the community.”

One aspect of the ambassador program finds the performers and counselors spending nights with host families in each community. In Northwest Arkansas, members of Etz Chaim and Temple Shalom in Fayetteville opened their homes to the teens.

The Jewish Federation of Arkansas sponsored the group in the state. And the group is recognized by the Israeli government as goodwill ambassadors.

Levine’s family did not house a member this year, but they have in the past.

“They are in homes to outreach to the families, to educate the families,” Levine said. “Each of them makes a scrapbook, and they show us photo albums, and teach us what it’s like to live in Israel.”

“I show a different side and spirit of Israel to a lot of teens and kids,” said Yuval Kadmon, a troupe member. “No, we don’t ride camels to school, and we like the same kind of music and the same clothes you do.”

“We have TVs and cars,” Niv added.

Kune found the pace of life here much calmer than in Israel.

“In Israel, there is always stress,” she said.

“Here, you think before you talk. There, they ‘Do! Do! Do!’

“But I love them both,” she added quickly.

“Everything is different (in the United States),” Kadmon said. “Every home is different. The trash can, the shower, is in a diff erent place in each house, where in Israel, you expect everything to be more of the same.”

Kadmon and Kune agreed that everything is bigger in the United States.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville hosted the g roup Thursday for a lunch and tour. Casey Goldman, an educator with the museum and a member of Etz Chaim, and led the tour.

“One girl recognized a similarity with the museum and buildings in Israel,” Levine related.

“Casey was able to confirm that the architect of the museum, Moshe Safdie, is from Israel and designed some buildings there.

“They got to see a footprint of Israel here in Bentonville,” Levine said.

“What I want them to know is there is not a big population of Jews here. Maybe in St. Louis and Chicago there are, but this is Bentonville, Arkansas.”

For most of these teens — all of whom travel during three months between their junior and senior years in high school — it’s their fi rst extended time spent away from home.

“The learn about themselves, and become more mature,” Niv said.

The group members get only one hour a week to call their parents and friends, and they don’t get in much site seeing. “It’s not really a sightseeing kind of traveling. It’s living-room seeing travel,” Niv said.

“We’ve already driven 8,000 miles, and we still have another month on tour.”

Kune noted that the teens spend most of the time in one van together, sleeping or silently listening to music as they travel from state to state. But each noted they are making friends — among group members and with host families — they will keep the rest of their lives.

Both Kune and Kadmon said spending the time in the host’s homes were the best part of their tour.

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