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//__**Rationale**__//
__Research__: For the research part of the project, I chose to research an organization that helps the less fortunate due to the fact that they do not have the technology or financial abilities that we do. The IFA, Israeli Flying Aid, is an organization that flies anywhere in the world that has suffered from a natural disaster in order to provide aid. __Profile:__ After writing about IFA I felt the need to interview someone from my local community in order to show how there are many people in Israeli society who volunteer on a regular basis in local ordinary places where they help the less fortunate. As a result of this I decided to interview Shelly Davis, who volunteers in soup kitchens, the "Pina Chama" with soldiers and more. She believes that volunteering is part of her life and who she is. Moreover, it makes people appreciate what they have and where they come from. __Personal connection:__ For my personal connection, after writing about one specific person in Jewish- Israeli society I wanted to show my connection to Israel by showing the people I am part of. For that reason I created a symbol made of simple cutout people set up in the shape of the Star of David that represents the Jewish people of Israel.

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//__**Research Article**__//
IFA Israeli Flying Aid After the injury of Gal Lousky's brother in the Lebanon war, Lousky decided to change her way of life, and IFA, Israeli Flying Aid, was founded. So who are these people and what do they do? Why did Gal Lousky decide to form this organization for people all over the world and not only for the people she comes from and from her country? And how did it all start? IFA was founded by Gal Lousky in the year 2005, in order to fulfill the needs of people- by providing food, medical and post trauma help for those who have suffered from natural disasters all around the world. The organization is non- profit, non- governmental, and volunteer based which reaches out to populations who are unable to get help from international aid organizations. IFA is committed to fly to any location in the world where a natural disaster has occurred to provide the people with emergency assistance. It provides supplies and aid to every individual in need no matter where they come from or what race, nationality they belong to. IFA even chooses to deliver aid to communities in countries that are hostile toward Israel, such as Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Indonesia and others. Gal says, and I quote “We’re an independent civilian group bound only to our conscience- not waiting for any approval from any government to act.” (Wilmoth). This shows what dedication IFA has to the human race. Their main purpose is to help the ones in need. There are hundreds of volunteers who come from a variety of people from the Israeli society- Jews, Christians, Druses and Bedouins. The volunteers are either doctors or people who had suffered from a trauma. These people are fully devoted, special people who leave their families on short notice and risk their lives as they go to the most secluded areas of the world in order to save the lives of others. These people are very brave individuals who represent the heart of Israel. IFA reaches out on behalf of the Jewish people in the spirit of peace, love and the ability to give without asking for anything in return.

The reason Gal Lousky founded the IFA is because of the following: Gal was a flight attendant working for American Airlines when her brother was seriously wounded in the Lebanon war in 1992. She was shocked by how bad his injuries were and she made a vow that if her brother survived she would change her purpose and way of life. She promised she would investigate what she could do for people around the world that do not have the support of medical systems, as her brother had in Israel. Gal says "It did change my life." (Wilmoth ). As a result of her decision to work as a humanitarian- She decided to quit her job- dedicating and devoting her life to helping others in crisis. Thus, Israel Flying Aid was founded- a non-profit, non-governmental organization, which was to deliver aid to communities that, had been affected by natural disasters and human conflict.

Lousky felt that the big aid agencies worked with their own agendas, while the survivors of natural disasters needs were not being properly addressed. Therefore, she decided that IFA should focus on crises in countries that lacked diplomatic relations with Israel and would focus on countries who forbade the entry of humanitarian help after disasters. The group travels to disaster areas, usually on regular civilian flights, without supplies, which she says are sourced on the ground, and without permission from that countries government. “We understood that no one is asking permission to kill people, so we decided not to ask permission to save lives,” she says. “We call ourselves the transparent ones because we go in and out without being noticed, like ghosts.” This shows how the organization is truly non-profitable in any way. They neither want nor expect any reward for helping people, what they do get is much bigger and greater than any reward one can ever receive for a good deed: satisfaction.

A few of the disasters they have helped in are Rwanda in 1994, the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004, the conflict in Darfur, Sudan (for three years from 2005) and the earthquakes in Pakistan-Kashmir and India-Kashmir in 2005.

Lousky has said: “We are obliged in Judaism to save lives, even if they are not our own.” (Wilmoth). There are about 1200 volunteers that are fully motivated, dedicated to the missions to a point that they leave there families on short notice in order to save the lives of strangers and even travel to countries hostile to Israel and put themselves in danger for others. The volunteers can provide 10,000 hot meals every day and treat 500 people a day in field clinics calling on doctors with expertise in post-trauma. Gal Lousky personally leads every mission. “You can’t endanger somebody else without endangering yourself,” she says in Peter Wilmoths article.

“Being compassionate to your own family, your own society and your own country is OK, it’s necessary and it goes without saying, I hope. But I think the highest compassion you can do or feel is for your enemies.” (Wilmoth)



*To IFA"s official website click [|here].

//__**Profile**__//
Shellie Davis Shellie Davis (Laulicht) is an ordinary American woman, living in an ordinary world, with a regular family and life. But there is something special and different about her: her heart. Her need to give without expecting anything in return. Shellie was born in the United States, New Jersey in 1971. She was brought up in a modern orthodox, Zionistic family. Shellie is one before the youngest of four girls in her family. Her family still lives in America; Shellie is the only one who has made aliya. She learned at Yavneh Academy for elementary school and Central High School. Then she studied psychology at Stern College. Shellie married Eric Davis, and gave birth to her two daughters, Elizabeth and Joy in America. They came to Israel for a year to experience life in Israel, with no intention of staying longer. After one year, Shelly said "We just couldn’t leave", so they stayed. Shellie and Eric had three more children in Israel: Max, Isaac, and Samson. In total they have five wonderful healthy children and have already lived in Israel for 12 years. Shellie feels that her life, here in Israel, is very different from her life in America, saying: "you can really be a Jew in this country. The holidays are really unique in Israel; it never felt like that in America- You can feel it in the air. My kids are growing up as Jews with the understanding of the importance of the state of Israel." The reason this is so important to Shellie is because many of her family members were killed in the Holocaust.Shellie has a very big and open heart towards others, feeling the need to give. She is very thankful and grateful for what she has, feeling like she needs to give back to society and to the people in need. Therefore, Shellie volunteers in many places, such as: the hospital, a soup kitchen, the "Pina Chama", at the Koby Mandel foundation and more. At the hospital, she volunteers with children and adults who are sick in the oncology department. These people have a lot of waiting time between medication and treatment so Shellie is there to talk to them and to be there with them in order to take their minds off of what they are going through. At the Koby Mandel foundation Shellie had helped run the carnival for many years. This carnival raises money to help victims of terror. They are now working on organizing a trip which will be a four day hike inIsrael, from north to south of the country for the people inIsrael, in honor of Koby Mandel. Shellie also tries to get involved in simple every day issues, such as: the "Pina Chama" or preparing meals for people in need etc. Shellie decided to volunteer at these places because; as she said "It is just about making people smile". For instance, at the soup kitchen "Chazon Isaiah"- preparing the food, and seeing the smile on people's faces when they receive a hot meal. Or at the Pina Chama- the soldiers are just so appreciative to be served a hot cup of coffee from a warm loving Mommy. At the Koby Mandel foundation- seeing his parents as an inspiration and how they have the strength to give after all they have gone through. Shellie volunteers once or twice a week, and when she does, she tries to bring people along so they too can experience the joy of giving. Shellie says: "So much of our week is spent giving to our family, which is the most important thing, but after finishing a day of volunteer work, you come home and appreciate your family even more." Moreover, Shellie tends to bring her children with her to volunteer occasionally, because she feels that the volunteer work that she does, takes such a big part in her life, that if her children do not know and see what she does, it is as if they are missing a part of who she is. Part of volunteering for Shellie is setting an example for her children yet; they should always know that family comes first. Shellie would like to continue volunteering, however, to branch out to more places, and volunteer more times a week. She is very touched by the fact that people know to call her when there is a need for help, or when they are organizing help for others. Shellie would like to give out the message that when you give to people and are not only consumed by your own life, you look at what's around you- you walk out being very grateful for what you have and she finishes by saying: "There is never a time that I leave a situation that I'm volunteering at, that I walk out without saying thank you for letting me help because I feel like I gained more than the person I was helping."

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//__**Personal Conection**__//
While I was thinking of what to do to demonstrate my connection to Israel, I thought of what makes Israel into the country it is. Then I came to the conclusion that it is the Israeli society that makes Israel into such a caring and helpful country. Therefore, in order to illustrate this warmth and open- heartedness, I decided to make a symbol of the well-known cutout of people holding hands, and set it up in the shape of the Star of David. This symbol represents the qualities of the Jewish people in Israel. The people are very simple and set up in the shape of the Star of David, representing the warm, caring traits and the simple life style of the Jewish Israeli society. The more unassuming the people are, the more they are willing to give and open their hearts to their brothers - the Jewish nation and the world. The figures in the symbol may seem anonymous at first, but once they are set up as a unit, in the shape of the Star of David, they become a Jewish- Israeli unit that works together, hand- in- hand, to help others.

// __**Reflection**__ //
Looking back, at the beginning of this project, I did not think I would get so much out of it. Yet, to my surprise, it opened my eyes to the fact of how Israeli society helps one another and had showed me the importance to give without getting something in return. I now see how many amazing, good hearted people there are in the world and inIsraelespecially. I learned that to do a good deed to a friend or a stranger, you do not have to think out of the box, or do something that is "out of this world", but even the most simple thing, such as volunteering in the community center, or even just smiling at someone, can change his or hers life forever. From my research part of the project about IFA, I learnt the importance of seeing what you have, and what abilities g-d has given you. To share them with the world, to those that are less fortunate and do not have the resources and technology that you do. By interviewing Shellie Davis, an ordinary stay at home mom, that volunteers at the community’s organizations, had taught me that even the smallest thing, such as a smile, can changes a persons life. That out of every situation that you walk out of, you should always say thank you. After writing my research and interview part of the project it lead me to my personal connection toIsrael. While thinking of what to do for that part of the project I came to the conclusion that the people ofIsraelare the ones who makeIsraelinto such an amazing, warm, and loving place. This had taught me to give to society, and not to only think of those that are close to you and about your self, but also for the rest of the Israeli nation and the world. Throughout this project I learned to try and not use the same word over and over again such as and. I learned to use more connecting words and gave more thought to how and what I wanted to say. = =

//__**Notes**__//
Davis, Shellie. __Personal interview.__ Efrat, 27.11.11

__Israeli flying aid__, 21.11.2011 >[]< Wilmoth, Peter. "Undercover Angel".: in: __The Weekly Review__, 8.12.2010, 14.11.2011 . <[]> שרביט, שולמית. "קומנדו נשמה ישראלי", __Ynet__, 09.06.2008 , 21.11.2011< [] >. = =