Ohio State Hillel students and the Social Justice Program Coordinator, Jennifer Ackerman, traveled to the remote village of Cuidad Romero in the Bajalempe region of El Salvador for a week long cross-cultural experience. Students spent the week doing manual labor alongside the El Salvadorian people. The majority of the work was agricultural field work. Students ate three meals a day with their host families, traveled into the capital, and visited important historical landmarks as well as the Jewish synagogue. Every afternoon students participated in study and dialogue on Jewish texts relevant to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. The week long trip stressed the Jewish imperative to help others in need (7 students participated)
Interest Dinner for Perspective Alternative Break Participants,
October 9, 2002
Students were invited to a dinner at El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant to find out details about this year's alternative break trip. Over dinner, students heard from the trip leader, JCSC Jenny Ackerman, about the history of the country, the itinerary, and goals of the trip. Students picked up an application to participate in the program that evening (11 students participated).
Shabbat Oneg with Ruth Messenger, Director of American Jewish World Service, November 1, 2002
Ruth Messenger was in town speaking at a community member's house about AJWS and their international relief work. OSU Hillel students who were interested in hearing more about the organization before they signed up for the Spring Break trip (10 students attended)
Show Me the Mangoes!
January 23, 2003
The eight students participating in the Alternative Break helped to make fake mango trees as a display in the student union. Students passed out slices of fresh mango along with statistics about world poverty, agricultural relief, and American Jewish World Service's projects. Students stressed the importance of reforestation, sustainable development, and a market economy. (10 students participated, over 40 students stopped by for a taste)
Group Meetings
January 15, February 10, March 10, 2003
Students attending the trip were required to attend three meetings. The meetings were intended to prepare them for the cultural immersion and new experiences of going to an underdeveloped, third-world country. At one meeting students did a Jewish text study on wealth and happiness (8 students participated)
Welcome Back Meeting
April 3, 2003
One week after they returned, students swapped photos and regrouped. It was a time for debriefing and discussing future involvement with American Jewish World Service. (7 students participated)
El Salvador Shabbat
April 25, 2003
We celebrated a Shabbat Latin style. The eight alternative break students gave a dvar torah (a talk on their week long collection of experiences.) Pictures and souvenirs from the Spring Break trip were displayed on all tables. Dinner was Latin cuisine. (100 students participated)
Suugestion and Goals
This years trip was a success in part because of the students that went. I would recommend having an application and interview process again next year. We had numerous meetings as a group prior to departure. Prepare the students and yourself as throroughly as possible. I included a session on the history of El Salvador, the culture of the people, the daily schedule and goal of the trip, and a sample text study on a relevant topic. Of course, there are sooo many thingd that can creatively be done to have fun with this group. Anything from salsa dancing to dinner at an authentic Latin restaurant (good luck finding this in Columbus, Ohio....but there actually are a few!)
