Stay home, stay safe, stay engaged!

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Due to the coronavirus crisis, people have been instructed to stay home for many weeks at a time. Parents struggle to keep children busy, senior citizens grapple with acute loneliness, and people of all ages are eager to find fulfilling activities to fill their excessive free time. Here are some of the inspiring projects currently being offered by members of the Beit Berl community:

Online gallery talks
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Beit Berl's HaMidrasha Gallery has had to close its doors to the public, but the gallery experience has moved online. Avi Lubin, the gallery's curator, hosts weekly talks with artists about their exhibitions at the gallery or about their current oeuvre. The events take place via the popular Zoom video conferencing platform as well as on Facebook Live, and are later available on YouTube. Hundreds of people participate every week, both from Beit Berl's art community and from the public at large. Upcoming talks will feature artists Dr. Miri Segal, Ohad Fishof and Prof. Ido Bar-El. Click here for more information and to watch past events.

Downloadable activity book for preschoolers
Second-year students in Beit Berl's Department of Early Childhood Education, headed by Dr. Yarden Kedar, have designed a creative and comprehensive activity book for parents of young children. The activity book (in Hebrew), which can be downloaded for free, is full of fun ideas to keep preschoolers busy at home and is divided into various sections, such as 'language,' 'motor skills' and 'Math.'

Time Tunnel project
People currently confined to their homes are invited to take part in Beit Berl's acclaimed Time Tunnel oral history project, whereby younger generations interview their elders and document their families' cultural histories. During the coronavirus crisis, the Time Tunnel staff has published guidelines for special oral history projects that can be carried out online and are designed to virtually bring together various generations. Participants document the results of these meaningful and fun Time Tunnel activities on the Tarasa website―in Hebrew, Arabic or English.  

Reaching out to senior citizens
Last year, Beit Berl's Department of Informal Education and the Martin Buber Center for Dialogue Education launched a "Community Elder Care" learning module in collaboration with the Dror-Israel youth movement. Alumni of this program are now volunteering to support senior citizens during the coronavirus crisis. They receive lists from municipal social welfare departments of senior citizens who are especially in need of care and support these days, and are in regular contact with them―speaking with them on the phone, helping them solve problems, and delivering food and medication. These activities are all carried out in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations.

Arts & crafts kits for children in South Tel Aviv
Galit Silver, a 4^th year student from Beit Berl's Faculty of Arts–HaMidrasha, prepared entertaining arts and crafts kits and distributed them to children from the HaYarden School in South Tel Aviv, as part of an effort to help  bring sparks of joy to kids in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The initiative was part of an online course taught by Dr. Vered Haruti.