Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam

Life as a Volunteer in the Peace Village

Kevin Dürr — 2007-08-25T20:32:31Z

My name is Kevin Dürr. I am 20 years old and from Frankfurt (Oder) in East Germany. I was a volunteer at the Primary School of Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam from September 2006 to August 2007. I chose to volunteer in the village as part of my Civil Service required by the German State. I discovered the village through a friend from my hometown who is also a former NSWAS volunteer. I was amazed by the philosophy of the village, especially by the fact that they don't try to make everybody the same or “equals.” They allow people to live together, while retaining their own cultures and differences. This, I believe, is the true challenge.

My duties in the Primary School ranged from cleaning or repairing the facilities to escorting the children on field trips. The teachers really try to educate the children on their own identities and collective culture and history. Instead of only focusing on their similarities, they wanted to strengthen the children's own self-identities. This is important because it allows children to develop self-confidence and self-esteem. When you are secure in your own skin, you are more willing to respect and tolerate other people's differences.

Outside my work in the Primary School, I felt very well integrated into the village. I discovered that a large majority of the families in the village were extremely welcoming and hospitable. A week wouldn't go by without me being invited over for a dinner or a cup of coffee. I even felt as though I was a semi-member of the family in some of the homes I frequently visited. Not only was this an enjoyable pastime for me, I realized that these visits offered me a deeper understanding of the country – its culture, society, history and modern-day politics.

I never expected the high standard of living as a volunteer, as we were fully equipped with air-conditioning and wireless Internet in the volunteer house. I can't imagine that volunteers at other places have such living conditions. It didn't fit into my picture of volunteer work, where I imagined you would “get your hands dirty” doing hard manual labor and live under simple living conditions. This is not the case at NSWAS. With so many volunteers, researchers, and other visitors from all corners of the world coming to live, work, study and/or just visit the village, you increase your horizons in many ways. Not only do you meet all these interesting people, you learn a great amount of information and new ideas. On the other hand, you see a lot of people coming and going, so it often became difficult to say goodbye to so many close friends and acquaintances.

The surrounding region of the village, the fields and the mountains and the forest; it is truly a remarkable sight. Even while the location of Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam is directly in the center of the country near Latroun Monastery, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, it is often difficult for volunteers to leave spontaneously because they depend on public transportation. A volunteer should expect to live and work primarily in the village, only leaving once or twice a week to other locations throughout the country.

I really, really appreciate the time that I spent in Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam. If given the opportunity, I would do it all over again. Thank you to the residents of Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam for making my experience such a positive one.

(Thanks to Shelby Port in producing this article)

"Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr" for German volunteers

2004-06-07T10:38:52Z

Till recently the social benefits of the so-called "Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr" provided by the German government were available only for young German women who did that service in Germany or neighbouring countries. Now it is possible to get it also in other countries like Israel, if the participants are well prepared and sent through an organisation recognised by the government.

If young people from Germany wish to come as volunteers to Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam they may therefore like to contact a recognised organisation and try to be sent through that organisation in order to get the social benefits they would lose without that procedure.

The office of Pastor Ramacher is such an organisation. The address is:

Arbeitsstelle für Kriegsdienstverweigerung,
Zivildienst und Freiwillige Friedensdienste,
Venusbergweg 4,
D-53111 Bonn.

Pastor Ramacher has expressed willingness to provide a framework by which volunteers could come to work in NSH/WAS.

Volunteer conditions

2004-06-01T05:00:00Z

If you are considering coming to NS/WAS as a volunteer, please read the following letter.

The application form is at http://nswas.org/article235.html

Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam accepts a small number of volunteers (usually between 5 and 6) at all times of the year. Our primary motivation for accepting volunteers is economic: given our financial constraints, volunteers provide inexpensive and effective help in various branches of the village. But aside from economic considerations, we are happy to receive volunteers in order to provide a means for those who would like to learn about our work to become acquainted with us more closely.

From experience, we know that NSWAS can offer volunteers an enriching and rewarding time: they can learn about the different cultures in Israel and the conflict between them, about the responses to this conflict expressed in the village and its educational institutions; they can learn about living in close contact with their volunteer group; and sometimes they can learn something about themselves.

On the other hand, there are certain things NSWAS cannot offer volunteers. It is important to clarify these, so you will not be frustrated or disappointed, and in order to give you better grounds for your decision to come to work for us.

Some volunteers arrive with the expectation that they will be able to play an active role in our educational work. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The School for Peace is run by a permanent professional staff of Israeli Jews and Palestinians, and is not able to integrate others who have not been specially trained for the work. The other branches of the village are also managed in a way that does not involve volunteers in decision-making or place them in positions of authority.

The actual work done by volunteers is in the area of the everyday running of the village. Our volunteers assist with basic tasks in the guest house, kitchen, nursery, kindergarten and school, and with general maintenance and gardening. Much of the work is not interesting in itself, and the specific work-place is decided by the needs of the village.

Naturally, we do not underestimate the value of this labour, which is an important contribution to what Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam and its educational institutions are trying to do. But we do not want to disappoint you in regard to the type of work you will be doing.

Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam is a small community of people who have chosen to live here because of the special qualities of the village as a binational community. The community is made up mainly of families who live their own lives, working either inside the village or outside, cooking, eating and spending time in their homes, and participating in the democratic processes of the community. The village is not communal (as in a kibbutz), though it has many cooperative aspects.

In this community, the volunteers naturally spend most of their free time with each other, and tend to form their own social group. Contacts with village members depend very much on personal initiative, though there is a well-founded potential for such contact.

NSWAS is situated on a hilltop seven kilometers off the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It takes a half-hour to drive to either of these cities, though Jerusalem is more popular with the volunteers. To get there, the volunteers either borrow the village car to drive each other down to the bus stop, or rely on rides from other people going into town (usually not too difficult).

Here are some additional points and rules for your information:

Period of Stay

We usually prefer volunteers to come for a period of between six months and a year (longer periods are subject to special approval). Shorter periods may be acceptable, depending on requirements at a given time.

Role of the Volunteer Coordinator

The volunteer coordinator arranges the work schedule and looks after the needs of the volunteers. Where possible she arranges programs or activities for the group.

The volunteer coordinator is available during regular working hours.

Work Framework

Volunteers work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Sometimes they may be required to work for more, and if so, this time is returned in the form of leave.

Holidays and Leave Taking

Depending on the demands of the branch in which the volunteer is employed, Friday and Saturday are free days. Holidays (for Christian volunteers) are: December 25, January 1, Easter Day, and Israel's Independence Day. Volunteers of other faiths will be able to receive alternative dates - subject to approval ahead of time. Every month, a volunteer accumulates one extra day of leave. The volunteer may take this leave only at the end of the period of employment, or for medical emergencies and renewal of visas. Workers in the nursery work 6 days a week with only Saturday off. They may not be released during working hours except in emergencies. They are entitled to compensate for the loss of Fridays, by taking leave when the nursery is on holiday. If the volunteer finds him or herself, for whatever reason, without work, it is his or her responsibility to approach the volunteer coordinator in order to be assigned work.

Accommodation

Each volunteer has his/her own room, though this is quite small and "basic". Bathroom and toilet facilities are separate.

Allowance and privileges

Monthly pocket money: $50 per month, payable from the end of the first month of employment.
Telephone card units: 100 per month.
Use of NS/WAS vehicles (see appropriate section).
Postage stamps for letters.
A daily newspaper in English (shared between the volunteers).
Once every three months the volunteers may organize together a volunteer trip. Please speak to the volunteer coordinator about the conditions under which such a trip may be taken.

Medical Insurance and Treatment

Volunteers must purchase and maintain full medical insurance for the duration of their stay in NSWAS.

During the time of their employment, volunteers are insured for work accidents by NSWAS.

Use of NS/WAS vehicles and trips

Community vehicles are intended for official use by NS/WAS employees. The volunteers may not use the vehicles except for short trips to the Latrun or Nachshon junctions.

Once a week it is possible for a group of volunteers to take the car to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv (or places of equivalent distance). This must be after regular working hours or on Friday / Saturday).

The hotel vehicle may not be used except for emergencies, and only in coordination with the volunteer coordinator.

Dining and Shopping

The volunteers have their own kitchen, and take care of their own cooking as a group. They do their own grocery shopping for the group in a nearby supermarket.

The budget is determined according to the number of volunteers present. Groceries to be purchased can include food items, toiletries and other basic needs.

Purchase of groceries is made on a basis of once a week on a day determined in advance. Cheques for purchase of groceries must be collected from the volunteer coordinator during regular working hours.

Visas

NSWAS will cover the costs of visa renewal only after the volunteer has worked in the village for a period of 3 months - all other costs of visa renewal will be at the expense of the volunteer.

The volunteer should arrange with his or her place of employment in order to take time off work in order to arrange visa renewal.

A cheque and an official letter should be obtained from the volunteer coordinator.

Guests

During the period of employment, visits by guests does not permit the taking of leave.

Guests who stay with the volunteers in their rooms are expected to cover the expenses of food.

Parents or friends of the volunteers may come to stay in the guest house at a reduction of at least 15% - subject to availability of accommodation.

Guests are expected to pay the regular admission fee to the swimming pool.

Miscellaneous

Drivers' License: We ask you to bring your driver's license (driving permit), if you have one. Most national drivers' licenses are accepted in Israel.

Washing machine: Volunteers have access to a washing machine for laundry.

Swimming Pool: the volunteers may use the swimming pool during the season for free, however their guests must pay the regular admission fee.

Personal belongings: NS/WAS does not take responsibility for, or provide insurance for, personal belongings of the volunteers. Valuables may be deposited with the treasurer for safe-keeping.

Termination of Volunteer Employment

NS/WAS retains the right to terminate the employment and stay of any volunteer if such becomes necessary.

Volunteers who find they must leave before the date they have agreed upon must inform the volunteer coordinator at the earliest opportunity in order that a replacement volunteer can be found. This must be done at least one month in advance.

After their termination of employment, the volunteer is entitled to retain his or her room, and will receive an allowance, for the number of days of leave that have been accrued during the period of employment.

At the end of their stay, volunteers are expected to leave their room in a clean and tidy condition for the next volunteer.

If, after reading the above conditions you are still not discouraged, we assure you that we will try our best to make your stay in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam enjoyable and interesting, as it has been for many other volunteers.

Experience of a volunteer in NSWAS

Rosa Blumenfeld — 2004-05-15T05:00:00Z

During the past two and a half months I have been a volunteer here at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. I had been in Israel for a few months already as a student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The first time that I came to the village was when I attended a conference here about “Religion, Social Identity and Education Among Arabs and Jews in Israel”. I was to start volunteering at NSWAS the following week.

I was to be the first volunteer working with the Public Relations office as the assistant to the current director, as well as working with the groups coordinator cleaning a lot as well as performing odd jobs that needed to be done. I was both excited at this new opportunity but also quite nervous as well. All kinds of questions were running through my head: Would I be good enough to stay here for a long period of time? Will people like me? What exactly will my work consist of? What are the other volunteers like? etc. etc.

Although cleaning toilets is a powerful motivation to go to a new place, I came to NSWAS because of its ideology that I identified with. I knew that the work would be hard but I was looking forward to doing something new. It turns out actually that there were quite a few that needed to be cleaned here, a process which I have performed several times and which I will no doubt continue doing until the end of my stay here. With that I entered into a new routine: Sundays and Tuesdays were PR days and Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were cleaning days. Two days meant coming to work in nice clothes so that I would be presentable around the office, and the other three consisted of wearing sweat pants and baggy t-shirts.

Working at the PR office consisted of translating, writing e-mails and thank you letters as well as doing research on-line that could potentially benefit NSWAS. Working with the Groups Coordinator consisted of cleaning the entire office building, preparing the auditorium for incoming groups (including the adjoining bathrooms) and doing other projects in and around the building. It took me a little while to get used to the rhythm of the work. I knew coming in that it would be hard and physical work so I struggled with it in the beginning and slowly, as I got more used to it, my pace quickened and I started to feel more at ease at work. There was the “day of the window”, dubbed that way because I cleaned the windows of the outside of the office building as well as the auditorium all day. Then came the “day of the broom” where I swept everything in sight from the inside of the office building, to the steps outside of it and the surrounding area as well as the auditorium. There were also group days where I would come in early to set up the refreshments and materials for incoming visitors to the village as well as clean up after the groups when they left. This became a tricky process when more than one group was scheduled to come in on the same days especially since none of them ever seemed to get here on time.

After hours I was spending time with the other volunteers and people around my age living in the village. I was invited for coffee, dinner and just to chat. Within the first few weeks I was adopted by a family in the village whose daughter I am very good friends with. I went to the Purim party at Kibbutz Nachshon with the younger people of the village and another volunteer. Once I got home from work I actually had the time to just sit and read which I felt I didn't have time for as a full time student and just visit with people and get acquainted. I also started attending the aerobics classes with the women of the village. On the weekend I would usually leave NSWAS to do see friends in other parts of the country or my father who also lives here or just stay here and relax. Getting out of NSWAS was a little tricky at times but nice because it provided more variety to my daily routine.

Before I knew it, I had already been here for a month, then two and now I am fast approaching the third month of my stay here. I must say that although both of the jobs that I have been doing differ quite a bit, I have learned a lot about the village and about myself as a person as well from each of them. I realized that although this village is founded on ideals, it is not perfect. It is a community that has its problems, disagreements and politics just like any other community would. Although two very different peoples are living here together, the lines that sometimes divide the community around certain issues aren't based on religion or nationality but rather on the people themselves and their opinions. One of the most interesting things for me coming here is talking to actual Palestinians and really listening to what they have to say, a process that I had never had the opportunity to do before as a Canadian Jew even though I had lived in Israel for a couple of years as a child. I have also learned about the (usually) negative attitude that the Israeli government has about this place. The consequences of which can be seen in the fact that almost everything that is accomplished here is privately funded. The Israeli government does provide some funding but not nearly enough for the village to be able to sustain itself. It was difficult for me to realize that the government of a state that I believe in so much could have such a negative attitude toward a place like Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. I also learned about the different things that happen in this village that coincide with their goal of peaceful coexistence such as the activities of the School for Peace, the workings of the elementary and junior high schools and the Doumia/Skina. I have also learned about the history of this place and current issues within the village.

After I had been here for about three weeks, there was a death in the village of a young girl, may her memory be a blessing, that was the daughter of one of the first families that came to NSWAS. I went to the funeral even though I did not know the family personally because I thought that it would be important for them to know that the entire community was supporting them. A community which I now felt that I was a part of. It was very sad to see the grief of the family and the community as a whole but it was also very moving to see the whole village come together and try to help this family through that difficult time for them. It reminded me that even when they are in pain, human beings are capable of so much love and support for one another. A message that is also so essential to the ideals on which this community was founded.

Now that almost three months have gone by and as I reflect back upon my time spent here, I realize that even though this place has its imperfections, it is important to keep in mind exactly what an accomplishment it is, an accomplishment that came out of nothing. As I look around me at the situation in Israel and the Middle East, living here at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam gives me hope that the futures of both the Palestinians and Jews living here in Israel can be a brighter one.

Adventure and the world upside-down

Tineke Vander Kooi — 2000-01-11T06:00:00Z

Since I was thirteen I was longing to live for some time abroad. I wanted to do some practical work and get more insights about the world, about people and about myself. Lots of things are possible in this area nowadays, and after some investigations, Israel seemed like a good choice. On a few square meters you find intense politics and history. Concerning cultures and world religions it is a real melting pot. And it was even payable!

Through some acquaintances I got information about a village where Jewish and Palestinian people were living and working together. This seemed to me like the ultimate chance to get to know the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from different sides. I wrote a letter and eventually there was place for me from November 1998 till June 1999.

The group of volunteers consists of four to six people. Due to the small number it is quite easy to make contact with the people of the village itself. Every volunteer is also adopted by a family. I was very lucky with them: I could just go to their house, feel at home, drink mint tea, have interesting talks, learn new games and sometimes eat with them. That way you get to know the people and their way of living. It even happened to me that during Ramadan they took me to their family in an Arab village where they really stuffed me with the most extraordinary dishes...

The volunteers receive money to buy and prepare their own food. Everyone has a room for himself and shares the kitchen and the bathroom with the others. Life is not luxurious, but most of the time very enjoyable with campfires at night and many nationalities and languages around. Lots of VIPS come to visit the village (during my stay among them was even Hillary Clinton) and activities are organised like Arabic lessons, belly dancing and speeches. Sometimes the organisation and slow speed in which things are improved can be very frustrating, but you can try to learn to live with that. And even more you appreciate a washing machine, a television, water and electricity when it does work.

Most of the time volunteers are working five days a week, eight hours a day in one of the different branches of the village. The other days you can sleep long or for example go to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Sometimes the work is nice and most of the time it is not. Volunteers are mainly there as cheap workers to do simple jobs. Cleaning toilets wasn't life-fulfilling, but made me look, both at toilets and at life in a different way. And because of that I was even more motivated to start studying. Opposite the stupid work are the freedom and all the new friends from over the world. You get to know their way of living, their cultures and you also get an idea of the complexity of the problems which are living in the Mid East.

My way of looking at politics has definitely changed through my stay. Impressed by the holocaust, being raised in a Christian family and with too little knowledge I came to Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam with a bit of a pro-Israeli attitude. This changed abruptly after the confrontation with all the injustice and discrimination I saw, heard and felt around me. I am still busy trying to find a balance between all the stories of people, who all have their own truths on which they base rights, and where t hey do have rights on. It turned out to be not only one problem, but an endless, confusing bunch of problems, with behind every solution even more problems. To become desperate and hopeless. But I still have hope and I thank this mainly to the special people around me, from and around NSWAS. In spite of all the problems they take the courage to hope and to work on peace and respect. Abdessalam says in an interview:” You shouldn't deny the conflict, you should try to learn to live with it". And I see this happening. The Kingdom hasn't come there as well yet, I saw a lot of quarrelling and gossiping, but people dare to face the confrontation. It is difficult, but people are building together on a sound basis. The children are already playing together. They are proud of their own background, but also familiar with the other culture and religions. Therefore they learn to think and to handle not from fear but from respect for the other. With that the conflict is not solved yet, but people are treated with dignity and given their space.

Altogether it was a passionate year, very much worth the trouble. I would love to do it again. I have been homesick, I learned to fight. The world is not as simple anymore as it used to be, but there is so much more waiting for me than I ever expected. And the new insights, the friendships and the love I found are invaluable to me.

Volunteer Work Application Form

1998-06-06T05:00:00Z

Please fill out only after reading Volunteer conditions

You may telephone +972 2 9912222 or write to volunteering for further information.

Raida,
Volunteer Recruitment

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