OU '07 25th Anniversary Year Alumni Fund

Operation Understanding has changed my life and the way I view leadership groups. OU has taught me skills to initiate dialogue among diverse groups of people while having respect to many different views. OU '07's group dynamics was great and being able to talk to one another about difficult topics/issues was very insightful. SHARE-UNITE-INSPIRE----TIGER! :-)

Here are some memories...

Senegal Our first day in Senegal we met Molly Melching and learned about Tostan. Drinking and requesting more Fanta cocktail!Sherif and his energy to deal with us. Eating Chebujen with Senagalese students and visiting their homes.Sharing with the students our culture while experiencing theirs.Dancing in many villages and learning about Tostan and their role in empowering communities.Bargaining and buying fabric.Playing volleyball in the pool, people thinking they have malaria(LOL), and a cockroach attack!The ferry ride from Senegal to Gambia.The alligator park in Gambia and meeting students on the beach near the hotel.Goree Island, the door of ‘No Return’,discussion on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and the support that we gave to one another. Israel Shimon’s way of talking to us about history and lama ma kara?Seeing the caves at Rosh Hanikra,the Bahai Temple Gardens,volunteering at the Jaffa Institute and at the Ethiopian Absorption Center,learning about the Druze community,exploring Ben Yehuda Street,eating falafel,and meeting Israeli teens.Being in Jerusalem,a holy city for the three monotheistic religions- walking through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,seeing the Dome of the Rock,and welcoming in the Sabbath at the Western Wall.Visiting Yad Vashem and continuous support that we all gave to each other during emotional times.Climbing Massada after spending a night at Beduin tent,floating on the Dead Sea, and cooling off in the Ein Gedi springs.Philadelphia Reuniting with our families with our favorite food.Explaining to our families our amazing trip through a presentation and recounting the Stages of Hunger that we all had.