ARMDI makes local children 'Partners for Life'
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
A local organization is recruiting the Jewish community's youngest members as volunteers.
Arizona Friends of American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI) recently began the "Partners for Life" program in the Valley's day schools and synagogues. The program, aimed at children in grades kindergarten through fourth, brings volunteers into the classroom to teach about tzedakah, tikkun olam (repairing the world) and emergency medical services in the United States and Israel.
The idea for the program came from ARMDI co-chairpersons Jay Bycer and Barbara Zemel. ARMDI members Jeannette Flom and Ellen and Steve Rosenbaum volunteered to be co-chairpersons of the "Partners for Life" committee and developed a curriculum based on Bycer and Zemel's ideas. They then recruited volunteer teachers from the community, including several students from Hebrew High.
The volunteer teachers visit the classrooms and present the "Partners for Life" curriculum.
"The goal is really to teach the kids about what's happening here in the United States in terms of ambulances and medical personnel and ... how that relates to Israel," explains Bycer.
The volunteers bring pictures of ambulances and medical supplies, as well as a globe so the teachers can show the young children the size and location of Israel.
"They are surprised at how small Israel is in comparison to the United States," says Flom.
After a discussion about the importance of ambulances, the children are invited to become ARMDI volunteers themselves - to create a picture about ambulances or ARMDI to enter into a contest. Contest winners will have their pictures published in an upcoming ARMDI calendar that will be sold to raise funds to buy supplies for the ambulances, in particular the ambulance donated by Anna and William Koenig (see main story).
"Our focus is to buy medical equipment for the ambulance, so people can be treated when they need emergency services," says Flom. "It's nice to have ambulances, but without the equipment, there's definitely going to be a void."
Each student is given a white and red ARMDI volunteer hat, as well as ARMDI magnets, stickers, pencils and crayons and paper on which to create their drawing. Additionally, a letter is sent home to parents explaining what the children learned during the presentation and outlining the rules for the contest.
"We want the children of this age to know the responsibility that we as Jews have for our family in Israel. We want them to start working now," says Steve Rosenbaum. "We want them to involve their families."
Fran Richter, director of education at Har Zion Congregation, was impressed with the results of the program at her religious school.
"The kids drew some spectacular pictures of ambulances - tragic scenes with people helping to rescue the figures in their pictures," she says. "It was an opportunity not only for the kids to learn, but to demonstrate they'd been taught something important."
Since the program started in March, volunteers have visited Beth El Kindergarten, The King David School, Pardes Jewish Day School, Tri-City Jewish Community Center Day School, Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center Kindergarten, Temple Emanuel, Temple Beth Israel, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Chai, Beth El Congregation, Har Zion Congregation and Temple Solel.
"The kids heard all about the importance of rescuing people and how important ambulances are not only here, but in Israel," says Richter.
Bycer says the "Partners for Life" program will apply for a grant in the hopes of creating a program for fifth through eighth grades for next year and for a ninth through 12th grade program the following year.
"We're going to try to touch all the kids in the Valley over a three-year period of time," says Bycer.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
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