ICEJ瑞典分會翻新以色列青年村的「瑞典屋」ICEJ-Sweden renovates ‘Swedish House’ at Israeli Youth Village

Event Type: 
Preaching/Talk
Date: 
06/05/2023(星期六) PM 12:30

ICEJ-Sweden renovates ‘Swedish House’ at Israeli Youth Village
Published on: 5.5.2023
By: Laurina Driesse

When Israel was reborn as a nation 75 years ago, many in that founding generation were orphans, having lost their entire families in the Holocaust. Thus, many children’s homes and youth villages sprang up around Israel to welcome the wave of orphaned Jewish children needing a place of refuge. Some of these homes continue to operate today, meeting the needs of at-risk Israeli and immigrant youths. Each year, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem takes on renovation projects in children’s homes and youth villages throughout Israel where budgets are sorely lacking to make essential upgrades.

Last year, an ICEJ Aid team visited the Kfar Galim youth village to give out welcome packages to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants newly arrived from the war. We just happened to bring along ICEJ-Sweden national director Gitten Öholm to help, when we discovered the youth village had a rather dilapidated “Swedish House” which badly needed repairs. It was built mainly with wood, which the village staff did not know how to fix, as most buildings in Israel are made with concrete and stone.

While there, the village director Danny Gildin mentioned in jest that we should bring some Swedes to help renovate the home. This planted a seed in Gitten’s heart, but a thousand thoughts ran through her head at the same time.

“For me back then, it seemed impossible in many ways,” Gitten recently recalled. “The ICEJ-Sweden branch is rebuilding itself. I am a lady, and none of my friends are professional handymen. Also, how could I explain the need to help a hi-tech country, or to ask others to come work without pay.”

Nevertheless, exactly one year after Gitten’s initial visit, she stood back in amazement this past March watching eleven professional Swedish workers eagerly travel to Israel at their own expense, and volunteer their time and skill to renovate the Swedish House at this Israeli youth village.

Johnny Åbom, one of the volunteers, described his experience. “It was early mornings and late evenings, and feet aching and swelling. But nothing was allowed to stop us from completing the task in time”, he said.

The volunteers first focused on the inside of the building, currently used for the youth wrestling team, as well as some garden work.

In addition to the hard work, the group also learned what makes this village unique. A constant hive of activity, some 1,600 students come and go through its regional school, which offers agricultural, music, wood-working and other study programs. Some students live in dormitories on campus that welcome immigrant youths arriving in the country ahead of their parents.

In addition, they are proud to host a sports program for talented athletes who are a part of Israel’s national sports teams. The wrestling club competes in Greco-Roman style wrestling championships for teens up to the age of twenty.

“We are proud to say that our wrestling team… participates in championships in Israel and worldwide and are winning podium places in major championships”, shared Saray Cohen of the youth village staff. “This year we took second and third place in the Israel championship held in Rehovot and had a representative in the judging panel.”

The Swedish guests also spoke with Jewish students who arrived last year from war-torn Ukraine. The visitors were touched to hear of their challenges in adjusting to a new culture and language, while worrying about friends and loved ones left behind.

The foreign volunteers also enjoyed a walking tour of the area, where the youth village maintains a sanctuary to care for mistreated animals. “Many students learn empathy for these animals”, said Johnny.

The group also encountered cows producing milk and cheese, and large banana plantations nearby.

It was an unforgettable experience for the Swedish team, some of whom were travelling abroad for the first time.

“I have great gratitude for being a part of this trip”, noted Johnny, who could not say enough about how the visit to Israel benefited everyone on all levels. Already, they are thinking to return and renovate the outside of the Swedish House at Kfar Galim.

“Maybe painting and gardening do not seem so ‘spiritual’, but on my way home I realised that it is really in line with the ICEJ’s calling”, explained Gitten. “To teach from the Bible regarding our calling to Israel is of course important, but I think this was a fantastic way to let people get involved and get to know the Jewish people, how they live, and how they have a heart for others, like with this school. So, this was a way to connect both themselves as well as their churches back home in Sweden to Israel.”

The benefits of the trip ran both ways.

“The renovation of the wrestling center by the ICEJ and your Swedish volunteers made a huge impact on the 25 teens training there”, assured Saray Cohen. “They were astonished to return from their Passover vacation and find the center had changed completely. The ICEJ-Sweden donation towards this project and the work they put in it has pumped our children with lots of new motivation and pride. They feel honoured to be a part of the wrestling team and are eager to host future events here at Kfar Galim.”

We, too, are grateful when Christians around the world find practical ways to be a blessing to the people of Israel.

ICEJ瑞典分會翻新以色列青年村的「瑞典屋」
發表於:5.5.2023
作者:勞麗娜·德里斯

75年前,當以色列重生為一個國家時,創始一代中的許多人都是孤兒,他們在大屠殺中失去了整個家庭。因此,許多兒童之家和青年村在以色列周圍如雨後春筍般湧現,以迎接需要避難所的猶太孤兒浪潮。其中一些之家今天仍在運營,以滿足處於危險中的以色列和移民青年的需求。每年,耶路撒冷國際基督徒
大使館都會在以色列各地的兒童之家和青年村進行翻新工程,這些地方嚴重缺乏進行必要升級的預算。

去年,ICEJ 援助隊訪問了Kfar Galim青年村,向剛從戰爭中抵達的烏克蘭猶太移民分發歡迎包裹。 我們剛好帶上ICEJ-瑞典國家總監Gitten Öholm幫忙,發現青年村有一座相當破舊的「瑞典之家」,急需維修。它主要是用木頭建造的,村裡的工作人員不知道如何修理,因為以色列的大多數建築物都是用混凝土和石頭建造的。

在那裡,村長丹尼·吉爾丁開玩笑說,我們應該帶一些瑞典人來幫忙裝修房子。這在Gitten的心中種下了一顆種子,但她的腦海裡同時閃過一千個念頭。

「那時候的我,在很多方面似乎都是不可能的,」Gitten最近回憶道。「ICEJ-瑞典分部正在自我重建。 我是一位女士,我的朋友都不是專業的雜工。另外,我該如何解釋幫助一個高科技國家的必要性,或者要求其他人義務工作。」

儘管如此,在Gitten首次訪問恰好一年之後,今年 3 月,她驚奇地退後一步,看著11名瑞典專業工人自費前往以色列,自願貢獻他們的時間和技能,翻新這個以色列青年村的瑞典之家。

其中一位志願者Johnny Åbom描述了他的經歷。「那是清晨和傍晚,腳又痛又腫。但沒有任何事情可以阻止我們及時完成任務」,他說。

志願者們首先關注建築物的內部,目前用於青年摔跤隊,以及一些花園工作。

除了艱苦的工作,他們還了解到是什麼讓這個村莊與眾不同。 作為一個持續不斷的活動場所,約有 1,600名學生在其地區學校進進出出,該學校提供農業、音樂、木工和其他學習課程。一些學生住在校園內的宿舍,歡迎比父母先到美國的移民青年。

此外,他們很自豪能夠為以色列國家運動隊的優秀運動員舉辦體育項目。摔跤俱樂部為20歲以下的青少年參加希臘羅馬風格的摔跤錦標賽。

「我們很自豪地說,我們的摔跤隊……參加了以色列和世界各地的錦標賽,並在大型錦標賽中贏得了領獎台」,青年村工作人員 Saray Cohen 分享道。「今年我們在Rehovot舉行的以色列錦標賽中獲得第二和第三名,並且在評審團中有一名代表。」

瑞典客人還與去年從飽受戰爭蹂躪的烏克蘭抵達的猶太學生進行了交談。聽到他們在適應新文化和語言方面遇到的挑戰,同時擔心被遺忘的朋友和親人,參觀者深受感動。

外國志願者還享受了該地區的徒步旅行,青年村在那裡設有一個庇護所,以照顧受虐待的動物。 「許多學生學會了對這些動物的同情」,Johnny說。

該小組還遇到了生產牛奶和奶酪的奶牛,以及附近的大型香蕉種植園。

這對瑞典團隊來說是一次難忘的經歷,他們中的一些人是第一次出國旅行。

「我非常感謝能參加這次旅行,」約翰尼說,他對以色列之行如何使各個層面的每個人都受益匪淺。他們已經在考慮返回並翻新位於 Kfar Galim 的 Swedish House 的外部。

「也許繪畫和園藝看起來不那麼「靈性」,但在回家的路上我發現這真的很符合ICEJ的呼召」,Gitten 解釋道。「從聖經中教導我們對以色列的呼召當然很重要,但我認為這是讓人們參與並了解猶太人民、他們的生活方式以及他們如何為他人著想的絕佳方式,就像這所學校一樣。因此,這是一種將他們自己以及他們在瑞典家鄉的教會與以色列聯繫起來的方式。」

這次旅行的好處是雙向的。

「ICEJ和你們的瑞典志願者對摔跤中心進行的改造對在那裡訓練的25名青少年產生了巨大影響」,Saray Cohen保證道。「他們吃驚地從逾越節回來行動,發現中心已經完全改變了。ICEJ-Sweden對該項目的捐贈以及他們投入的工作為我們的孩子們注入了許多新的動力和自豪感。他們很榮幸成為摔跤隊的一員,並渴望在 Kfar Galim 舉辦未來的賽事。」

當世界各地的基督徒找到切實可行的方法來祝福以色列人民時,我們也很感激。