Meet Sarah Ertel, she’s originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and made Aliyah to live a full Jewish life. Now, she is a Bat Sherut at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran.
“I moved to Israel because I wanted to immerse myself in a world with the values of community, faith, God-consciousness all while living in the Jewish heartland. I believe this is where Jews belong, therefore, I made the move. I wanted to do Sherut Leumi to better integrate myself into Israeli society and culture, so it was important for me to devote at least a year to national service. Learning to speak Hebrew is important to me, and I felt like this experience would help me achieve my goals of feeling more like an Israeli.
I met Doron Almog, who founded ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, while I was learning Hebrew in the Ulpan on Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. I heard about the amazing work they do with adults and children who have special needs and disabilities. The meaningful therapeutic work they do with horses and animals to help fulfill and improve the lives of the residents really spoke to me so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with them. Being so close to Gaza on October 7th was certainly scary but I have a strong resolve with the rest of the community to keep strong and continue our important work here.
The idea of being a Lone Bat Sherut was both scary and exciting. I was worried about my ability to make friends and be a part of the team with my lack of Hebrew skills, but I was looking forward to being a part of something new and meeting new people.
Since starting, I have found that all of the people I work with are very welcoming , kind and accommodating. They’ve helped me feel welcome and comfortable in my broken Hebrew which I really appreciate. After signing up for ORI – for Bnot Sherut Bodedot, I received a visit from Karen from Nefesh B’Nefesh who gave me the time and ability to have a meaningful conversation with someone who understood my situation. Ori helps Lone Bat Sherut all over the country and is a great outlet for connection, comfort and help – especially during this time.”
