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I Joined to Go to Cleveland
When Sagi interviewed me for the project, he asked me: “What attracts you most about the community leadership program?” “The trip to Cleveland,” I replied. He accepted me despite my answer-perhaps he was prejudiced on my behalf.
After the first meeting, I went home and thought a lot about whether it was worth spending a whole year working with this group just for the sake of a trip. I decided not to make any immediate decisions, and continued to come to the meetings. The change in me came about after the first meeting with Art.
Art Naperstak is a true leader, a man with a vision that he believes in, and who makes sure that all the people working with him know of his vision and work according to it. After the meeting with Art, I understood that the trip to Cleveland was merely a means for me, and not the goal, as I had thought at first. With this understanding, I could start getting involved.
First of all, I started paying attention to the people who were in the group with me-I realized that they were all excellent people. I suddenly understood that there are people living in Bet Shean that you can talk, think and work with, and that it is not just a place to go to in order to see the doctor. The area I live in began to take on importance for me, and I realized that community action is the solution.
We are all in the same boat, and whether you’re from the city or the surrounding settlements doesn’t matter. If we don’t take care of ourselves, no one else will do it for us. As Morrie Shwartz said in the book by Mitch Albom, “…if you want to add meaning to your life, you have to dedicate yourself to loving others, dedicate yourself to the community around you, and dedicate yourself to making something that will give you focus and meaning.”
Our year of apprenticeship is coming to an end now, and I must admit-this has been one of the most interesting periods of my life. Most importantly, I feel that though the year is coming to a close, I do not feel that things are ending.
I am sure our group will keep in touch with each other and will continue to work for the advancement of the area in which we live. I hope that other local residents will follow in our footsteps, and join us in our combined efforts. I recommend to everyone who cares about the future of our region to join us, even if only for the trip, because, as I said at the beginning, “I joined the program because of the trip to Cleveland-but I stayed because of the Beit Shean region.”
Israele Rorman
Community Builders
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