The celebration of Israel's Independence is always a highlight in the Netzer calendar. This year we not only took part in the celebrations at the Wanderers Stadium alongside the other youth movements, but we also held a Fun Day for our chanichim in order to educate about and engender a love for Israel.

The community celebration of Yom Ha'Atzmaut at the Wanderers Stadium was a fantastic experience. Amidst the excited shrieks of children on rides, the smells of delicious falafel and chips, and the colours of the amazing light show, we held a second-hand book stall, were representatives in the Guard of Honour, and happily soaked up the atmosphere.

Our Fun Day on Sunday May 3rd at Bet David was a huge success. We aimed to educate our chanichim about different aspects of Israeli culture, and thus had activities in which they learnt an Israeli dance, made their own humus, learnt about cities using a map of Israel and painted a huge Israeli flag with birthday messages and handprints.

This was all centred around the theme of "birthdays and celebration", meaning that we had an Israeli flag cake with sixty-one candles, party food such as Bazooka bubblegum and Israeli cucumbers and a game of pass-the-parcel whose prizes were toys from Israel. It was a fantastic morning for both chanichim and madrichim, and we look forward to our next Fun Day on Sunday, May 24th, at which we will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim.

Meanwhile, we're gearing up for our Mini Machaneh "Zikukim" or "Fireworks", and anticipate an incredible weekend of fun, adventure and learning from the 15th to the 17th of May.

Nilmad v'na'aseh! We will learn and we will do!

Jackie Maris, Gauteng Youth Worker, on 082 855 5199
Mor on 082 339 0246
Email: netzersa@gmail.com
Fax: 011 646 5543