Baking Dreamy Desserts and Futures in an Israeli Youth Village
Published on: 6.6.2023
By: Annaliese Johnson

At the end of May, an ICEJ delegation was invited to take part in one of the most anticipated life events of every Jewish youth – their bar or bat mitzvah. This important rite of passage grants recognition to Jewish boys and girls that they are now responsible members of the Jewish community. For eight young Jews in the Beit Appel Youth Village, a home founded in 1954 for youth from troubled backgrounds, this was a special achievement. Known as the Kvutzat Dekel (“Palm Tree Group”), the young teens could not contain their excitement as they looked forward to this next stage in life.

Much of the excitement was due to a joint ICEJ- Beit Appel project at the Youth Village which was started last year. The project aims to bring to fruition the dream of launching a youth-operated bakery in the village. In the confectionery kitchen funded by the Christian Embassy, children from the home have been working hard to learn how to bake and get the business off the ground. They have spent countless hours in the kitchen and in the classroom learning how to bake, prepare packages for sale, and run their own business. Each village event, including this group bar mitzvah, provides an opportunity to showcase their new skills.

As our ICEJ team entered the gate and waved to the security guard on duty, we were instantly immersed in a safe haven filled with greenery and colorful artwork. We made our way on a dirt path through a jungle-like nature area until we found the celebration under a partially covered patio. There were decorated tables, scrumptious-looking desserts, Israeli pop music, a slideshow, and some150 excited guests ready to celebrate with the eight youths.

The children, thrilled with their major achievement, smiled and whispered among themselves as they laid out delicate and delightful desserts on the tables. As part of their training, they baked gooey brownies, carefully frosted cakes, and creamy custards – the perfect treats for the sweet celebration of a key milestone. We watched as the youths pulled their older siblings to the desserts table and eagerly pointed out which desserts they had shaped. One mischievous boy of three with his hair tied in a bun raced around the center collecting desserts for his mother and grandma with pride.

Maya Cohen, director of the youth program, was beaming as she explained the success of the bakery project. She explained how proud she was of the children’s dedication. Whereas just a year prior she knew none of their names due to being brand new on staff, she joyfully exclaimed, “Now, they are MY children! You can see [the exuberance] on my face!”

When asked how she envisions the project moving forward, she shared how the dream is to operate the baking classes multiple times weekly and open the sales not only to just the village and staff but also to the surrounding community.

Besides Maya, we also meet Oly Kenneth, ecological director of the center, as we were all admiring the workmanship displayed on the dessert tables. Seven years ago, this part of the village was the garbage dump, complete with trash, broken dishwashers, old washing machines, and lots of stench. Thanks to volunteers from the village, it was turned into an oasis of 350 hand-planted trees, mainly organic fruit trees that offer free produce for all who enter the complex.

When asked about her dreams for the children, Oly assured: “For me this is the dream! The dream is here! It is THEIR home! These same kids planted the trees here, and now they are having their party here! It came full circle.”
Irene, from the ICEJ staff, smiled and referenced Isaiah 61:3, which eloquently describes beauty replacing ashes for troubled hearts.

For Jannie of ICEJ Aid, the icing on the cake was the recognition of the youth on stage and the support system they shared. Dressed in white, the youth bravely stood in front of 150 family members, counselors, and role models and sang a beautiful song. When one nervous boy was struggling to get the words out, the other seven crowded around him, linking arms and smiling in genuine love.
When Jannie was asked to address the gathering, she said that she was reminded of the verse in Psalm 92 which mentions the righteous flourishing like a palm tree, very befitting for the “Palm Tree Group.” In addition to creating delicious desserts, she noted, they also had made lasting memories and gained valuable skills that will be very beneficial in their future lives. As one speaker at the celebration expressed: “The beauty has no end.”

Please consider partnering with us to provide a hope and a future for more Israeli youth.

在以色列青年村烘焙夢想甜點和未來
發表於：6.6.2023
作者：安娜莉絲·約翰遜

五月底，一個 ICEJ 代表團應邀參加了每個猶太青年最期待的生活事件之一——他們的成年禮。 這個重要的成年儀式承認猶太男孩和女孩，他們現在是猶太社區負責任的成員。 對於貝特阿佩爾青年村的八名年輕猶太人來說，這是一個於 1954 年為來自困難背景的青年建立的家園，這是一項特殊的成就。 被稱為 Kvutzat Dekel（“棕枝樹組別”）的青少年在期待人生的下一個階段時無法抑制自己的興奮。

大部分的興奮都歸功於去年在青年村啟動的 ICEJ-Beit Appel 聯合項目。 該項目旨在實現在村裡開設青年人經營的麵包店的夢想。 在耶路撒冷國際基督徒大使館資助的糖果廚房裡，家裡的孩子們一直在努力學習如何烘焙，讓生意起步。 他們在廚房和課堂上花費了無數時間學習如何烘焙、準備待售包裹以及經營自己的企業。 每個村莊活動，包括這個團體成年禮，都提供了展示他們新技能的機會。

當我們的 ICEJ 團隊進入大門並向值班保安揮手致意時，我們立即沉浸在一個充滿綠色植物和色彩繽紛藝術品的避風港中。 我們沿著一條土路穿過叢林般的自然區域，直到我們在一個部分覆蓋的露台下找到了慶祝活動。 有裝飾的桌子、美味的甜點、以色列流行音樂、幻燈片，大約 150 位興奮的客人準備與八位年輕人一起慶祝。

孩子們為自己的重大成就而興奮不已，一邊把精緻可口的甜點擺到桌上，一邊微笑著竊竊私語。 作為培訓的一部分，他們烘烤了粘糊糊的核仁巧克力餅、精心磨砂的蛋糕和奶油蛋羹——這是甜蜜慶祝重要里程碑的完美款待。 我們看著小伙子們把哥哥姐姐拉到甜點桌前，急切地指出他們做了哪些甜點。 一個頑皮的三歲男孩把頭髮紮成一個髮髻，繞著中心跑來跑去，自豪地為他的母親和祖母收集甜點。

青年項目負責人瑪雅·科恩 (Maya Cohen) 在解釋麵包店項目的成功時喜氣洋洋。 她解釋說她為孩子們的奉獻精神感到自豪。 就在一年前，由於是新員工，她還不知道他們的名字，但她高興地喊道：“現在，他們是我的孩子！ 你可以看到我臉上的[活力]！”

當被問及她如何看待該項目的進展時，她分享了她的夢想是如何每週舉辦多次烘焙課程，不僅向村莊和工作人員開放銷售，還向周邊社區開放銷售。

除了Maya，我們還遇到了中心的生態總監Oly Kenneth，我們都在欣賞甜品台上展示的做工。 七年前，村裡的這一部分是垃圾場，到處都是垃圾，壞掉的洗碗機，舊洗衣機，還有很多惡臭。 多虧了村裡的志願者，它變成了一片綠洲，有 350 棵人工種植的樹木，主要是有機果樹，為所有進入該綜合體的人提供免費農產品。

當被問及她對孩子們的夢想時，奧利保證：“對我來說，這就是夢想！ 夢想就在這裡！ 這是他們的家！ 這些孩子在這裡種樹，現在他們在這裡開派對！ 它來了一個完整的循環。”
來自 ICEJ 工作人員的 Irene 微笑著引用了以賽亞書 61:3，它雄辯地描述了用美麗代替灰燼來代替煩惱的心。

對於 ICEJ 援助的 Jannie 來說，錦上添花的是舞台上年輕人的認可和他們共享的支持系統。 身著白衣的少年，勇敢地站在150名家屬、輔導員和榜樣面前，唱起了動聽的歌曲。 當一個緊張的男孩掙扎著說出這句話時，其他七個人圍在他身邊，手挽著手，真誠地微笑著。
當Jannie被要求在聚會上致辭時，她說她想起了詩篇92中的經文，其中提到正義的繁榮就像一棵棕櫚樹，非常適合“棕枝樹組別”。 她指出，除了製作美味的甜點外，他們還留下了持久的回憶並獲得了對他們未來生活非常有益的寶貴技能。 正如慶典上的一位演講者所說：“美麗沒有盡頭。”
請考慮與我們合作，為更多以色列青年提供希望和未來。