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About three years ago, the mechina found its new home in Kfar Ruppin. It was a perfect fit and right away, it became an integral part of the kibbutz community life.

We consider the kibbutz our home, and our connection with the community is an inseparable part of everyday life at the mechina. We have discovered a warm, welcome environment, where we have been received graciously and wholeheartedly by everyone. The community welcomed mechina participants with gifts they had prepared and through circle discussions with kibbutz residents, who told them about its history, current times, and the future outlook.

A  mechina staff team, which was established at the beginning of the year, is responsible for maintaining the ties with the Kfar Ruppin community, and together they organize a range of activities. These include educational activities involving the participation of kindergarten and school-age children; social and communal activities and events; and singing and dancing together before the onset of Shabbat and festivals. There are also discussion circles, which take place before special events, and communal learning of subjects such as current affairs and society, among other topics.

Additionally, mechina participants take part in joint projects at Mauricio’s Grove, next to the Kibbutz, which involve tending to its communal garden, running activities, and individual meetings and mentoring with the children, as well as long-time kibbutz members.

Throughout the school year, Mechina participants attend the Idan Educational Technology Center in Emek HaMa’ayanot, a joint regional center for technological development, educational innovation, and employment. It is attended by children from schools across the valley (the Emek), who come for enrichment workshops held on various technological subjects.
Inbar, a participant of the Mechina describes the experience:
“We’d come to Idan Technology twice a week. For me, as a newcomer to the Emek, Idan Technology depicts a place that inspires technological progress in Emek HaMa’ayanot. Indeed it is. It forms an outlet for original creation, independent self-expression in the full sense of the word, and in my eyes, it breaks conventions in all respects. It perpetuates the expression, “when there’s a will, there’s a way.” We usually see this phrase represented easily in other disciplines but here Idan Technology has a place on the team. They burst the social convention that construction tools belong to the realm of the “adult world” only. There children learn, recognize, discern, think, draw conclusions, and develop wisdom by using all their senses, and foremost using their hands as the main means. The overall place, the designed space, which encourages creativity to soar, and the staff of course, enable each boy, girl, or teenager to discover the space to develop, experiment, make mistakes, fix them, and finally, to enjoy the active experience.”
The participants help plan lessons or workshops at the center, and act as assistants to the guides for groups of students. “We met children and youth from the Emek, accompanied them through Idan’s unique learning program, and tried exposing them to technology in a positive light. One of the programs in which we participated included personal mentoring. I was privileged to get to know a group of intelligent girls, who were rich in laughter, love, and creativity. They provided me with the opportunity to observe and discover other people, to open up the possibility of expressing themselves with confidence, while enjoying it. At my first mentoring meeting, I expressed the simplest fact about Idan Technology in front of them – everything at Idan takes place with the purpose of serving you. Although this is a technical statement of allegiance as part of presenting the place to them, it did, however, penetrate a deep realization within me as to how anything can be possible.”
The students and Mechina participants formed a special and long-lasting connection, which ended in an emotional farewell at the close of the year. Beautiful messages bestowed by the students were presented, that touched the hearts of all involved.
“I concluded the Mechina year equipped to continue in life with all kinds of tools. Idan Technology gave me inspiration and realistic hope that the field of education can be more. A lot more.”
Mor Karassin, the director of the center, talks about the work with the Mechina participants:
“Inbar, Noam, Amir, and Ziv, are four Mechina members who were a part of the team at Idan Technology during the course of the year, which has now ended. Twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, they’d arrive with immense motivation to lead activities and perform unique work in the Idan Technology arena.
“During the year, the Mechina participants gained a great deal of knowledge while operating a wide range of technological tools, and passing on their knowledge in the encounters with children from Emek HaMa’ayanot and the region. These encounters allowed for personal mentoring in small groups in line with the requirements of the schools, and as guides for classes that attended lessons at Idan as part of their school curriculum. The participants became significant figures at Idan and for the school children.
“This is the third year we’ve had Mechina participants join us, and from year to year, we learn how to improve our work together. We really enjoyed working with them, and we wish everyone success on their new path. We’ll always be happy to welcome them when they come visit the Emek.”

The Dror School on Kibbutz Mesilot is an institution that provides schooling and therapy for approximately 40 children on the autistic spectrum, and who experience difficulty communicating.
The Mechina participants volunteer once a week with children in the various classes. Over the years spanning our involvement with Dror School, we have observed the success of the project both individually with the respective children and through our relationship with the school itself. The special connection forged between the children and the Mechina members has a positive effect on the children’s development and contributes greatly to the program participants’ own personal development and maturity.

Yossi Rufeisen, the volunteers’ mentor and supervisor at the school, has the following to say:

“For ten years we have been welcoming volunteers from the Mechina. They arrive and enter the unknown full of fear and expectation, and they end the year glowing with excitement and eyes shining, having gained so much which will remain with them for always, accompanied by a sense of having made a meaningful contribution. Their activities mostly involve teaching the children to ride bicycles, swimming with them in the pool and assisting each child to complete a personal project in the class.
The heartfelt connections (which can last for years) formed with members of the staff is an added value which we carry away with us. Their help is very important to us and as far as we can see, it adds a further significant layer to the development of their personalities.”

On behalf of all the staff,
Yossi Rufeisen – Volunteer Program Mentor