"We no speak americano!"

Shalom everybody!

For today's post, I wanted to address a topic that everybody seems to have an issue with at least once in his or her lifetime when interacting with different cultures. It appears to be an easy thing to do, yet nobody truly has any single solution for problems associated with it. The topic is on communication and different styles of communicating.

I wanted to do a post like this because my advisor, whom I am doing research for, asked me a particularly interesting question the other day when we were catching up. That question was, "Are you meeting nice people?" In a regular situation, it would be a simple answer - a yes or a no. However, in this case, it was more complex because different people communicate differently in different cultures.

Israeli culture is no exception. In Israel, from my perspective, people are more informal, more direct, and more personal. I am not saying that this is the permanent norm of the culture, because to say that would be discounting the individuality of the Israeli people and the fluidity of culture, itself, which is something that is also important to consider. However, based off my experience, that is what I gained from my observations. To be honest, that particular style of communicating is quite refreshing to experience, since there is no question of what a person thinks about a certain matter or subject.

Contrastingly, having come from a culture where people, from my own experiences, are more indirect in consideration of others' feelings, it can be hard to really know what someone is thinking about an inquiry you asked or a topic you want to discuss. Of course, like I said before, this is not the permanent norm, as it is also important to consider the individual behaviors and preferences of people in the United States, but it is what I have encountered in one case or another my whole life.

I mention this because when people have different styles of communicating, they can conflict, since the connotations that a person aims to give off may not be the same feelings that a person receives during the interaction. It is an interesting experience to behold, and an even more difficult one to solve. So, what do I do? I give the benefit of the doubt and listen. What this means is that I do not assume anything, I learn about the cultural cues or common speech patterns, and I base my judgment off what I have learned and observed from others. It is not perfect, but I get by most of the time. :)

In conclusion, to answer my advisor's question, "Yup! I am meeting nice people everyday!"

Power Eating

Boker Tov everyone!

So, just to start off from last post, one of the reasons that I came to Tel Aviv was to investigate how philanthropy can potentially aid in the construction of identity. What that means is that I'm examining how nonprofit work allows people to shape their own perceptions of who they are, what their race is, what their gender is, how they situate themselves with a nationality, et cetera. To do this, I want to hear several narratives from the audience of Olim Beyahad. I want to hear their stories, their conflicts, their goals, and what makes them, them.

Of course, this is an intricate study, and one that will inevitably require months of meeting with individuals and getting to know them, but in a way, it's exhilarating to gain knowledge on how people align themselves with a certain trait or characteristic. Influencing this process not only gives people the ability to gain trust with others but also have more representation and power in terms of identification. What that spells for the future cannot be predicted, but it's certainly fascinating to behold precisely because narratives themselves are extraordinary political works.

As I learn more about the individuals of Olim Beyahad, I'm starting to become more used to exploring Tel Aviv. Other than getting lost at times, I'm getting more and more out of my comfort zone, what with going to restaurants, parks, and famous monuments, I hope to know a little bit about this city at the end of the summer! Displayed is a meal that I had recently in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv; and it was delicious! There truly is no benefit greater than having the opportunity to experience a piece of culture in this way.

Next stop: museums!

Adventure Calls!

Lately, I've been exploring Tel Aviv to figure out why people praise it so much and what makes it so unique from any other city out there. I had visited Tel Aviv before during the winter, when I came with a group of students to study philanthropy and nonprofit institutions in the Middle East, but I figured I didn't have enough information to really solve that inquiry. Then, I figured that the key to my answer didn't exactly lie in anthropological investigations, but rather, it relied on lived experiences and the kinds of narratives that shape Tel Aviv, itself. So, in order to answer that beguiling question, I need to experience Tel Aviv for what it is, what it represents, and how it can potentially change me.

To do this, I've been going to various sites in Tel Aviv, like the Carmel Market, the Yemenite Quarter, the beaches, Tel Aviv Port, and there hasn't been a single site that has let me down or disappointed me. In all honesty, I don't think that anything in this city will, but until I find out more, I'll continue to keep an eye out for things interesting, unique, and lively!

Other than exploring Tel Aviv, I've begun to delve more into my work at the Institute for Philanthropy and Olim Beyahad. At the latter, I tutor members who want to be more fluent in English, orally. So, I met with my first "student" and we conversed for about an forty-five minutes on casual topics, like what books he reads, what he likes about them, what goals he wants to accomplish, et cetera. In a way, it was good to hear his story, and find out a couple of reasons why Olim Beyahad exists for the marginalized. I can expect to learn more as I talk to these people, and hopefully make the connection between philanthropy and identity - my personal end game.

But, that's for another blog post. Until then, enjoy some hummus and falafels!

Diving into things!

Shalom all!

In the midst of touring and exploring, I had the chance to go to Tel Aviv Port, which is a beautiful site right by the Mediterranean Sea. Suffice to say, I wanted to stay there for hours and simply take in the sights, the sounds, the feelings, and the people.

However, other than getting acclimated to my settings and the environment around me, I had a chance to meet with my internship supervisors, whom I will be working with during the upcoming months. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I wanted to come here in order to really dive into what nonprofits do, how they work, and gain a better understanding of why they do what they do, in the hopes of potentially considering a career in the nonprofit industry. Of course, I would need a myriad of experiences to truly have a certain idea since each nonprofit is different, but as a starting point, I think that this is a huge step and an even bigger career move for the future.

We discussed some of the duties that I would be doing. In particular, Tel Aviv University wants to start up an Institute for Philanthropy, so I am helping them investigate successful academic institutions based on philanthropy in the United States. For example, my very own University of Maryland has a Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership! My supervisors want to investigate those models, how they do things, and in the future, replicate those successes to usher in a new wave of philanthropic culture in Israel and potentially, the Middle East.

In a word, I'm a bit excited to get into this, since I've never really delved into this study before! But come what may, I will be committed to this study until I see some results! Now, onwards to my other internship: Olim Beyahad - a nonprofit institution in Tel Aviv that helps Ethiopian-Israelis integrate into Israeli society through helping the latter find professional work. Should be interesting.