by Naomi Miller
Over 5 weeks, the Michigan – Central Galilee Partnership Region participated in a most inspiring pilot program “Café Hafooch” (“Cappuccino”) — an intergenerational program that aims to create meaningful connections between Jewish community adults and Israeli high school students. In addition to the connections, the Israelis work on advancing their English skills.
The Detroit pilot (adopted from the Toronto program that has been active for the last few years) included 3 cohorts of 6-7 participants. Each cohort included 3-4 Israeli 12th graders, 2 adult Jewish community members and an Israeli facilitator. Over 5 weeks, each cohort met for 1 hour on Zoom after watching assigned “trigger” videos, dealing with topics such as Jewish identity as Israelis or Americans, the global Jewish reality, stereotypes, charity, social responsibility, minorities and Peoplehood.
The responses of the participants illustrates the success of the encounters for both the Israeli teens and the American adults.
Hila, 12th grade student in the Jezreel Valley
The experience in Café Hafooch was so special. I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to discuss and deal with topics that dealt with Israel, Jews abroad, and the Diaspora, that I am part of but really hadn’t ever discussed up until now. Jack and Sue from Detroit and Naomi our facilitator were terrific and gave us a place to speak and express ourselves. It was also very new and inspiring for me to hear their perspectives. I really enjoyed the experience and recommend it for anyone who is invited to participate.
Jack Folbe, Detroit community adult participant
I can’t thank you enough for giving us the opportunity to participate. I definitely gained greater insight into how our young adult partners feel about challenging topics. Our young adult Israeli partners also helped me understand my adult children, particularly educating me on racism, diversity, and tolerance, and generational differences on being Jewish. I definitely received more than I gave.
Roi, 12th grade student in the Jezreel Valley
This wonderful experience made my knowledge wider, mostly about the Jewish identity in the United States and Canada. I shared stories about my Jewish roots, and got to hear other fascinating stories. It was a pleasure to get to know volunteers from the Jewish community in Detroit, and to spend a weekly online time with them and with my friends.
Yahel, 12th grade student from Migdal Ha’emek
The experience in Cafe Hafooch was one of a kind. It gave me the feeling of being in the U.S. but also with the comfort of home. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to meet these interesting people, and to discuss about the subjects that I don’t get to usually discuss.
Sue Curhan, Detroit community adult participant
Cafe Hafooch was an incredible experience. Even though on Zoom – we made great connections, built relationships, and learned. Our team was fabulous. Getting the opportunity to volunteer with my brother and share memories was sweet. Our fearless facilitator did an amazing job keeping us on track. The topics of conversation were sophisticated. We examined our own Jewish identity, cultures, and choices. We learned how young Israelis feel about the same topics. I am so impressed by these 17 and 18 year olds. Our future is strong. I can’t wait to give them hugs in person. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a regular rich and meaningful program.