Comments on: Human nature http://israelity.com/2009/01/02/human-nature/ Life beyond the conflict Sun, 20 May 2012 18:10:09 +0000 hourly 1 By: Michelle Levine http://israelity.com/2009/01/02/human-nature/comment-page-1/#comment-281707 Michelle Levine Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:21:26 +0000 http://israelity.com/?p=6994#comment-281707 As the contact for SPNI's website (for the last 5 years), I do not recall any story like this. Certainly, we do take prospective donors on free tours, as SPNI is a non-profit organization. However, unless someone has explicitly mentioned their family foundation's interest in a given project, we certainly do not the resources to take them on a free trip. Go visit our website and email me - indeed the best way to explore our hidden wonders is with Israel's nature professionals! I do (fondly) remember a family who came not too long ago, for their son Matthew's Bar Mitzvah. What a great kid - he wanted to volunteer for his Bar Mitzvah in the Holy Land! So I arranged a volunteer day for him at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory. *IF* you haven't been there, you're really missing out on one of Jerusalem's best secrets! http://www.jbo.org.il/Eng%20index.htm He got to observe bird banding and research and his whole family toured the bird observatory. His family trekked a bit of the Israel Trail with SPNI guides, and they told me that had a wonderful experience, but they indeed paid for the guides themselves, and to boot, Matthew donated the money he received to the Jerusalem Bird Observatory. Now this, in my mind, is an impressive way to transition from childhood to manhood - by recognizing one's obligations to give back to society. Both SPNI and this particular family came away from the experience impressed and with renewed hope. As the contact for SPNI’s website (for the last 5 years), I do not recall any story like this. Certainly, we do take prospective donors on free tours, as SPNI is a non-profit organization. However, unless someone has explicitly mentioned their family foundation’s interest in a given project, we certainly do not the resources to take them on a free trip. Go visit our website and email me – indeed the best way to explore our hidden wonders is with Israel’s nature professionals!

I do (fondly) remember a family who came not too long ago, for their son Matthew’s Bar Mitzvah. What a great kid – he wanted to volunteer for his Bar Mitzvah in the Holy Land! So I arranged a volunteer day for him at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory. *IF* you haven’t been there, you’re really missing out on one of Jerusalem’s best secrets!

http://www.jbo.org.il/Eng%20index.htm

He got to observe bird banding and research and his whole family toured the bird observatory. His family trekked a bit of the Israel Trail with SPNI guides, and they told me that had a wonderful experience, but they indeed paid for the guides themselves, and to boot, Matthew donated the money he received to the Jerusalem Bird Observatory. Now this, in my mind, is an impressive way to transition from childhood to manhood – by recognizing one’s obligations to give back to society. Both SPNI and this particular family came away from the experience impressed and with renewed hope.

]]> By: lynne http://israelity.com/2009/01/02/human-nature/comment-page-1/#comment-280452 lynne Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:17:51 +0000 http://israelity.com/?p=6994#comment-280452 GREAT STORY. HERE'S MY UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL. IN MY EXPERIENCE EVERYONE GOT VIP TREATMENT. GO TO ASPNI.ORG AND FIND OUT ABOUT ALL THEIR WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. SPECIFICALLY CHECK OUT THE CREATIVE YAROK ACTIVITIES. WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY, IT WAS THE FABULOUS (AND AFFORDABLE) SPNI TOURS THAT INTRODUCED ME TO THE BEAUTY OF THE LAND. LATER I WENT BACK AND TOOK A SPNI HIKING TRIP IN THE NORTH THAT WAS TRULY UNFORGETTABLE. IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE TRIP RIGHT NOW, SEND A DONATION. THEY REALLY MAKE EVERY PENNY (SHEKEL) COUNT!! GREAT STORY. HERE’S MY UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL. IN MY EXPERIENCE EVERYONE GOT VIP TREATMENT. GO TO ASPNI.ORG AND FIND OUT ABOUT ALL THEIR WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. SPECIFICALLY CHECK OUT THE CREATIVE YAROK ACTIVITIES. WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY, IT WAS THE FABULOUS (AND AFFORDABLE) SPNI TOURS THAT INTRODUCED ME TO THE BEAUTY OF THE LAND. LATER I WENT BACK AND TOOK A SPNI HIKING TRIP IN THE NORTH THAT WAS TRULY UNFORGETTABLE. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE THE TRIP RIGHT NOW, SEND A DONATION. THEY REALLY MAKE EVERY PENNY (SHEKEL) COUNT!!

]]>