Walking through Neve Sha'anan

A few days ago, the program made its way through the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of Tel Aviv. It is the neighborhood where the program's center, BINA, is located. It is also the neighborhood where the Old Central Bus Station is located. I learned that there is a special narrative that the city likes to say, yet in reality that narrative only tells half the story. Neve Sha'anan does not have the same history as other sections of the city such as Neve Tsedek. It started as a failure with a failed attempt by Jews trying to supply produce to the growing city of Tel Aviv. Then it was a place for Mizrachi Jews who came to live in Israel. It is today still a blue collar neighborhood, but has a lot of very interesting characteristics. Across Levinsky St, is the "New" Central Bus Station which brings in a lot of people to the neighborhood. Many of the people who pass through are African Refugees and foreign migrant workers, mostly from Thailand, and the Philippines. Many of the African Refugees are from Eritrea which used to be part of Ethiopia or Sudan. Many of these Eritrean refugees make their way to Israel through Egypt which complicates their situation. Many of them leave their country due to a dictatorship which forces most of the young men into soldiers. For them to receive refugee status is very difficult because if Israel was the first country they traveled to they would be able to receive it, but many travel through Egypt. They stay in Egypt to earn more money to be able to be smuggled into the country. Once they are in the country they are given a three month visitation permit and need to get it renewed every three months. The first stop besides a transit camp set up by the IDF,is Tel Aviv. Many of the refugees will spend their days and nights in the park. Some of them even sleep in the park.

Besides being home to a large refugee and migrant community, the area is filled with drug addicts and prostitution, things that some Tel Avivians would rather not talk about. The Old Central Bus Station for instance lays vacant and a lot of vice happens around there. Seeing this part of the city makes me realize that Tel Aviv is not just an Israeli city, its an international city. You will hear Hebrew, English, Russian, Tigrinya(language of Eritrea), Filipino, and Arabic all on the same street. You will also see Filipinos and Thais who come to work here speak Hebrew. Tel Aviv I am coming to learn is a cultural melting pot. Many cultures make Tel Aviv one city. It gives the city a unique feel of being African, Mediterranean, European, and Middle Eastern. Tel Aviv is a wonderful city soo far and I cannot wait to unlock more of its treasures. More to come as I start to volunteer tomorrow. !להתראות