בית לחם - beit lehem

Today was a fun and successful Yom Yam. I had the opportunity and honor to witness for the first time myself Min al Bahar’s work. Early in the morning, the organizers and volunteers arrived at Tel Baruch beach in the north of Tel Aviv in order to set up everything and blow up colorful piles of floating tires. Then, the bus arrived, and within minutes the beach was filled with lots of happy voices, sunscreen, and laughter. We swam and splashed and collected shells and dove after small fish and even built a small sand castle.

Once we had finished our supplies of sandwiches, everybody had dried, and all shoes were matched with their owners, we drove to the community center in Jaffa. After a delicious lunch, pens and papers were distributed, and everyone set about eagerly to draw and handicraft fish with crepe paper, wood, and a stapler.

Yom Yam concluded with a boat trip from Jaffa port. We sat in the fresh breeze, listening to music, enjoying dessert and an impressive Tel Aviv and Jaffa skyline. The sun on the horizon was still warming our faces but already beginning to dip into the dark blue sea. And when we leaned over the railing to look at the waves’ pretty white crests, we even saw fish, big fish!

Toda raba Min al Bahar for a wonderful day!

Franziska Kabelitz, volunteer from Germany