Hi, my name is Liza Comart and I currently work at a refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece called Pipka.
At Rashi, repairing the world is not a project, it’s a lifestyle.
The refugee camp run by Lesvos Solidarity is designated for the most vulnerable population, so that includes pregnant women, families with many small children, and people with disabilities.
At Pipka, I work at a grassroots movement called Mikros Dounias. Our goal is to integrate the Greeks in the area with the refugees at the camp using an innovative, pedagogical model loosely based on the Forest School model.
We have about fifteen children in the school speaking about six different languages. The children are the innovators. We play with branches and pinecones instead of dolls and trucks.
I really cannot imagine having chosen to come to Lesvos had it not been for Rashi. At Rashi, tikkun olam (repairing the world) is not a project, it’s a lifestyle. It’s baked into every class, every activity, and every debate.
Rashi taught me how to turn anger into action.
In 2015, when the refugee crisis was at its peak, and the powers that be seemed to be fairly apathetic, I became angry. So, I did my research, and I came to Lesvos.
At Rashi, they are not only inspirational but pragmatic in terms of repairing the world.