Kiryat Gat, a volunteer experience to remember | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Kiryat Gat, a volunteer experience to remember

By Samantha Thart Ashman

There have been many days where I felt emotional and connected while here, but yesterday was different from all others so far. Yesterday, we volunteered with Israeli children. From the minute our bus pulled up, I could feel their energy running towards us. Just coming from the Holocaust Memorial Museum, I was in a depressed mood. Seeing these kids and their innocent smiles changed all that. My emotions immediately shifted to the opposite. The language barrier between us didn't matter. They loved us and we loved them. Those couple of hours with them really affected me in a conflicting way because when we left they were so sad. Some were even crying. It empowered me to do more volunteer work like that while in Israel and also when I return back home. I'll always remember those kids.