12th grade students prepared for the oral Hebrew exam with Horia's help

"It was the best experience of my life!" - so exclaimed Horia Niv after spending three weeks in Sydney as part of the Arava - Australia 2010 Teacher Exchange project. The project has been running for a number of years, with teachers from both the Arava and Australia visiting their partner communities to teach and to also learn how things are done on the other side. This year Horia Niv from Moshav Hazeva and Sharon Dagan from Sapir were pleased to participate in the program.

During the previous teacher exchange Barry Zworestine from Masada College visited the Arava, the first teacher from Sydney to take part in the program, and this year Horia was the first teacher from the Arava to spend time in a Sydney school. Horia originally came to the Arava as one of the original settlers over 40 years ago, and has been teaching history at Shittim School for 28 years, and had visited Australia in 2007 as the head of that year's student delegation from the Arava.

Horia worked with the 7th through 12th grade classes at Masada and gave Hebrew lessons to somewhat weaker students, as well as helping four 12th grade students to prepare for their oral matriculation exams in Hebrew. She also made a presentation on agriculture in the Arava to each of the grade levels. As a history teacher herself, Horia was particularly interested in the subject and met with quite a few people who told her about their personal histories, with whom she formed particularly warm ties.

After her return she was happy to report that the program had been very successful, with outstanding hospitality, and many close connections were formed. Horia is now looking forward to hosting teachers who accompany the coming delegations to the Arava.

 
Horia Niva and Helen Gold of the UIA

Sharon Dagan spent three very happy weeks at Bialik College, where she was most warmly and kindly received at by Tali, the College's Hebrew and Judaism coordinator. Tali took Sharon on a tour of the school in order to familiarize herself with her surroundings, and introduced her to the Hebrew teachers at the Preschool Center. Sharon also met with the elementary school principal, for a good and important talk.

Sharon brought a good deal of study materials along with her, such as songs, worksheets, material on the holidays, etc., which contributed greatly to the communication with the other teachers at the school, and was very much appreciated. Sharon felt that it would be better yet if teachers participating in the Teacher Exchange program could stay in the host country for a month, since the less than three weeks go by so quickly. Sharon arranged for a Pen Pal program to be set up between first through fifth grade classes of Bialik College and Shittim School, and the first letters have already been exchanged.
Both Horia and Sharon were hosted by fellow teachers, and were full of thanks and praise for the warm welcome they received, and how they were made to feel very much at home; Horia stayed at the home of history teacher Marion Seftel in Sydney, and Sharon with Neta Drucker in Melbourne. The Israeli teachers would also like to give heartfelt thanks to coordinators Ilana Meizals and Auryt Jacobson for the great efforts that they invested in making sure that everything ran smoothly during the exchange program.

 
Sharon and some of her young Australian students