Following a successful Education Week, Rashi welcomed representatives from this year’s nonprofits for the next phase of Tamchui—Meet the Reps Week. The organizations each grade heard from were previewed by the Middle School students last week, connecting their lessons to the initiatives each nonprofit works toward.
Representatives joined us in-person and virtually from all over the world, from Jerusalem, to Poland, to Arizona. Each one telling a different story, and resonating with Rashi students across the board.
“There were two ladies who worked for an organization to help women get the healthcare they need,” said Grade 1 student Georgia R. after hearing from Health Care Without Walls representatives Malika and Tiffany.
“If there’s an emergency, like they’re having a baby, or they break their leg, they’ll help them.”
“They help people get things they need, like strollers and food,” added her classmate, Margaux S.
In Grades 3-5, students heard from a Jerusalem-based women’s health organization called Bishvilaych, and their representative Sara Shiemiatycki.
“I learned that not all women are getting the care that they need. And with breast cancer and having babies, it’s very hard to not have to go to multiple doctors,” explained Fourth Grader Ben S.
On the second day of Meet the Reps week, students gathered for meetings with organizations supporting Ukrainian refugees. For many Rashi families, this is an incredibly personal topic, and one that Rashi addressed last year in a community-wide school supply drive for affected youth.
“They want us to know that these things can happen, they want us to be aware, and they want us to know so we can help them,” said Tali S. of Grade 4 about her time with Juliya Wicklun of Ukraine TrustChain.
“It was a real impact for me to know that things were worse in Ukraine than I thought. People are staying back and not evacuating to help their families,” said Ben.
For our younger students, FRD reps Jon Mills and Polina Shadrina spent time on a Zoom call to speak about their efforts in Ukraine from their headquarters in Poland.
“They were really nice, and one of them grew up in Kiev,” shared Grade 1 student Gabriel V., “they talked to us about refugees. They said that they’re opening a school, because they want to support the people.”
Students had the special opportunity to connect with a Rashi alum, Eva Weintraub, as well, who served as the representative for Chiricahua Community Health Centers. She recalled doing Tamchui herself as a student, and was thrilled to continue that work on the other side.
Hearing from frontline workers, those who operate within these nonprofits, empowers Rashi students to make informed decisions when choosing to donate. They learn straight from the source what these organization do to uplift members of their global community, then decide for themselves what resonates the most, developing informed opinions and outlooks on the issues presented.
“Because we get to pick which organizations we want to donate to, they want us to know what we’re [contributing to],” said Fourth Grader Olivia K.
“That’s what Tamchui is all about,” said Tali.