Linda Dubin Garfield’s Reaction to Her First AMIT Mission:
I have been volunteering for AMIT for almost 30 years and have visited Israel many times, often taking my family to see various AMIT schools and youth villages to see the wonderful work we do on behalf of children in Israel. I always came back renewed and rededicated after the visits.
This time, however, is different. I went on my first AMIT Leadership Mission to Israel in November 2007 and saw what we do in more depth, met the people who work for AMIT, and watched the children as they greeted us with song, flags, or flowers, watched them in classes as they learned technological trades, or studied in kindergarten about umbrellas. Now I am back bursting with pride at how AMIT improves the lives of its students, how dedicated the staff lead by Dr. Amnon Eldar is to the success of every student, and how committed the teachers are to finding what each child needs to be successful. We have a pedagogical department and offer teachers and principals staff development and training to help them be more successful in their jobs.
The mission was extensive and took us in many directions, both educationally and geographically. We looked at students-at-risk, excellence in education, how we are helping Israel build the Negev, and how we are changing children’s lives by helping them pass the bagrut, the matriculation exam, which is a key to their future opportunities.
