trabajo a Hebraica / work at Hebraica

After being here over a month, I have started to settle into a rhythm. Three mornings a week I go to the JDC office, four afternoons a week I go to Hebraica, and Saturdays I travel outside the city to Hebraica's country property.

So first question I´m sure you are all dying to know... What is Hebraica?

Hebraica's leadership and members of Board of Directors

Hebraica is one of many Jewish Community Centers in Buenos Aires and also happens to be the largest. The organization has over 7,000 members, 500 staff, a thirteen-story building in the city and a country club outside the city, and four main departments: youth, physical education, adults, and culture.  At any moment you can find a variety of activities including lighting Shabbat candles, elderly ladies learning how to use a computer, Rikkudim classes, pick-up basketball games, youth directors and madrichim planning their upcoming activities, aerobic classes, informal Jewish education activities, and more. 

So Kate, where do you fit within this massive organization?

Jessi, Hebraica´s youth director, and me

I am working in Hebraica's youth department, which has over 1,300 kids 2-17 years old, and over 100 madrichim who lead the youth programs (18-21 years old). The way their structure works, madrichim plan programs for the kids aged 3-14 and then teens aged 15-17 go to a madrichim school, which focuses on informal education and how to be a great madricha. When you graduate from the madrichim school, you become a madricha. There are directors for each of the age groups and then a director for the entire youth department, Jessi.

I am working most closely with three groups at Hebraica: the madrichim school, a program called Mitnadev which is an ongoing volunteer project, and Hebraica's relation with BBYO, the world´s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement.  I am helping to strengthen Hebraica´s relation with BBYO by planning programs and helping the teens in the madrichim school connect with Jewish teens around the world and learn about other global Jewish communities. In February I will also accompany teens from Hebraica to BBYO´s International Convention in Dallas, TX. 

My typical day by day schedule at Hebraica:

Monday: The teens who are interested in learning more about BBYO and connect with teens from around the world meet on Mondays for fun activities such as Google Hangouts with teens in America.

Tuesday: I attend meetings with the "anala" which includes all of the directors of the different programs in the youth department. 

Wednesday: The madrichim school meets for about two hours Wednesday night, so I go to help where I can and participate in the activities.

Friday: I help out with Mitnadev´s ongoing volunteer project, where they plan activities for a group of children who do not have the opportunity to have afterschool activities. For example, last week they had a scavenger hunt which included getting my signature:

Saturday: I drive an hour outside the city to Pilar, Hebraica´s camp-like country club an hour outside the city, to see all the youth programs in action.

What are my thoughts so far?

Hebraica is a massive organization and only after being here a month have I begun to understand all of its intricate organizational structures. It has been around for years, has extremely professional and well respected staff, and people want to go. Each Saturday at Pilar, Hebraica´s camp-like country club an hour outside the city, there are hundreds if not thousands of people taking part in activities and enjoying time with friends and family. Also, Hebraica is only one of about twenty JCC-like centers around Buenos Aires. Many of the young adults I have met at Hebraica have told me that although they had friends at school and in other activities, all their best friends today are still from Hebraica. It has been wonderful to be a part of a strong organization where the staff love what they do and to be in a community with such flourishing Jewish life. More to come on some fun projects I will be helping out with here!