NA'ALEH educator and former student of the organization Jenny Onichko at Givat Haviva with (center) Ilya Dubinsky, director of Na'aleh graduates in Israel, planning NA'ALEH seminar with International Department logistics manager Uri Barel
Large groups of Na'aleh immigrant youth – the majority in Israel without their parents – boisterously filled the classrooms of the International Department for a few days recently.
A few times a year groups of a few hundred Na'aleh students come to Givat Haviva for their own in-house seminars. The Na'aleh directors and educational staff accompanying the youngsters feel very much at home in the International Department's office complex, even a home away from home.
Not surprising when one discovers that International Department part-time logistics manager Uri Barel has also played an important role over the last 13 years in helping those youngsters living and studying in kibbutzim through Na'aleh under the auspices of the Kibbutz Movement's Department of Education – for whom Uri also works.
The Na'aleh program was created as a high level education program designed for high school students from the Former Soviet Union and later on incorporated youth from other countries including Ethiopia, North and South America and France.
Na'aleh is an extraordinary success with 90% of the projects over 11,000 participants having made aliya since it began in 1991. Not only that, 70% of them enticed their parents to also making aliya where it would have been doubtful they would have taken that step had their offspring not been successfully absorbed first in to the country.
Most of the educators working with the 160 Na'aleh youth recently on campus are graduates of the program. At the helm of the 3-day seminar and responsible for the educators was Jenny Onichko who like so many successfully completed the Na'aleh track and continues to be part of the extended Na'aleh family with her involvement organizing seminars for the present batch of 1,200 Na'aleh youngsters who can be found in kibbutzim, religious and secular boarding schools and youth villages.
Jenny Onichko (24) originates from Almaty in Kazakhstan. She made aliya in the year 2000 and nowadays studies at Ariel where she is reading economics and business studies. The energetic and charismatic student and accomplished informal educator can also be found working at Ben-Gurion Airport and resides at Moshav Yanuv.
Of Jenny's 25-member Na'aleh group who were originally based at the Pardes Hanna Agricultural School only two did not stay in Israel. Of the 23 that did, all completed their army service and are now studying.
"Most of them are either at the Technion or Tel Aviv University," says Jenny proudly.
For Uri Barel Na'aleh is more than just a project. The former high-school teacher and member of neighboring Kibbutz Barkai has been working at Givat Haviva for many years at the same time as being a stalwart staff member of the kibbutz movement department of education.
When Uri begins to talk about former Na'aleh graduates his pride is equal, if not more, than that of Jenny Onichko and friends.
Uri Barel introduces Ilya Dubinsky, director of Na'aleh graduates in Israel. The warm relationship between Ilaya, Jenny, Uri and the young Na'aleh educators working on the seminar at Givat Haviva is almost infectious.
Their pride in the program's successes and continued contact with Na'aleh graduates years after having basically finished the program attests to the shared responsibility of a committed group of educators wh mostly graduated from within the framework of the organization - and truly believe in it's huge contribution to successful absorption in Israel.
Givat Haviva looks forward to welcoming Jenny, Ilya and the extended teaching and administrative staff of Na'aleh for many years to come as they continue to contribute to Na'aleh and use our facilities for their in-house seminars at home away from home.
Ilya Dubinsky and Uri Barel organizing yet another successful Na'aleh seminar at Givat Haviva
Photos & text: Lydia Aisenberg
December 2008
