I am a fun-loving girl from Newton, Massachusetts who jumps at any chance to meet new people. This June I graduated from Newton South High School, where I was an involved singer and stage manager. While passionate about everything I do, I really hit my stride in youth group and at camp. Last year, I served as the Religious and Cultural Vice President for the Northeast region of NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth). As a member of the ten-person leadership team, I planned multi-day retreats and wrote and led creative services for over 300 teens, which inspired me to become a rabbi somewhere down the road. I spend my summers as a counselor at the URJ Eisner Camp in the Berkshire mountains, where I try to give my ten-year-old campers an unforgettable summer. While I have traveled to Europe and Asia, I’ve never actually lived anywhere other than Newton. I cannot wait to explore the ins and outs of Serbian culture and to connect with and learn from the people I meet. I am beyond thrilled to find a new home on the other side of the world as a participant in the Bridge Year Program in Serbia.
Posted Apr 02, 2012
I was nervous last summer. When I thought about spending nine months in Serbia, I imagined homestay scenarios, potential volunteer experiences, sights to see and complex grammar to learn. I envisioned getting lost in the city (this expectation has been realized time and time again) even though I had no mental image of what the city actually looked like.
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Posted Jan 06, 2012
I distinctly remember walking into Volonterski Centar Vojvodina for the first time on a pleasant September day and wondering what would become of my time at VCV. Located just 100 meters from the main square in Novi Sad, VCV is an organization devoted to promoting youth volunteerism and providing both long and short-term youth exchange on an international level. The office is a colorful and energized space that invites volunteers to make big ideas happen with little to no budget.
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The very first thing I did when I met my home stay family was to register my residence at the police station. I remember a surreal, almost dream-like experience as I watched Ljubica, my host mom, write “Maxima Gorkog 2” on the line for address. I remember her conversing rather angrily with the officer as he complained (I’m guessing, since I knew barely any Serbian at the time) about her lack of valid ID.
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