“My Role Model”

Who are my role models? My parents, my teacher, a rock star, the president, my older siblings?As part of their activities at SderotYouth.Com, and as part of the process of discovering themselves, teens defined, interviewed and photographed significant role models from their lives.

The resulting portraits were exhibited for Sderot’s public, with tips for a good life provided by the interviewees.

SderotYouth.Com’s youth group meets weekly throughout the year, learning about life, values and culture. The group’s activities include studying photography, videography, editing and related graphics software. This is the group’s 4th exhibit in 2 years. The group also volunteers in the community, photographing and filming local events, offers digital services to the general public and maintains a website for Sderot’s Computer and Communications Center, where they meet.

Yonat Malka

My Role Model: Yonat MalkaPhotographers: Lina and Bat El

“At first it was hard for us to decide who our role models are. Eventually we decided upon Yonat, the art therapist at our high school. She’s very smart, supportive and we appreciate what she does for us. When we interviewed her we discovered her anew – she shared the hard parts of her life, too. We will take her lessons onward and we have more respect for her than ever before.”

Photographers Shamno BatEl and Lina are 15 years old. This is their first year in SderotYouth.Com’s youth group.

Yonat Malka is 47 years old and is raising three children alone. She works in several schools in the south. She studied special ed with an emphasis on art and has worked with youth at risk who were abused.

Yonat started her career when she was a soldier. She always felt that it was important to make a significant difference in the lives of others. She credits her desire to help others to growing up in the shadow of her father’s mental illness, which caused her family a lot of suffering and made her childhood “difficult.” Yonat explained that her family didn’t value life much and her father swung between periods of calm and attacks of rage. As the oldest child, she tried to protect her siblings.

Yonat’s sister was killed in a bus bombing; a year later, her brother died in a car accident. After their deaths, her mother adopted four children with Down’s Syndrome, for which she was honored with a Presidential Award. Several years later Yonat’s mother died of cancer.

Yonat’s tip: Smile with your eyes, learn to overcome adversity and to live with death. Enjoy the sunshine, colors, flowers and life, don’t take any of it for granted.

Haim Biton

My Role Model: Haim BitonPhotographer: Tahel Elharar

Haim was born and raised in Beit Shemesh. He had a good childhood. When he was 13 he transferred to a boarding school in Jerusalem so that he could get a better education. Shortly after he transferred, his parents divorced and he felt his life fall apart. His life became very complicated as he struggled with the changes in his family, the culture at the boarding school and adolescence. Haim says that lots of teens find it hard to cope with situations like these and still succeed in school while resisting the temptations that call to kids that age. His mother helped him through it all, making sure he knew he was loved and giving him the attention he needed.

Haim came to Sderot for the first time six years ago to study photography at Sapir College. He fell in love with Sderot, with the people there who welcomed him warmly, as well as the beautiful views. He established the photography course at the Center to share the love of his craft, and to give teens an outlet to express how they felt during the long decade of Kassam attacks.

Haim’s own role model is his dear mother, who taught him not to give up on life, even when things are hard, and how beautiful unconditional love is.

Haim’s tip: Believe in yourself and do what you know to be right, but without hurting others.

“Haim is our photography instructor at the Computer and Communications Center. He’s been my teacher for 2 years. ”

Photographer Tahel Elharar is a junior in high school. This is her third year in SderotYouth.Com’s youth group.

NeliyaYamnizki

My Role Model: Neliya YamnizkiPhotographer: Viki Yamnizki

“Neliya Yamnizki is my grandmother. I didn’t have to interview her for the project because I know her so well. I chose her as my role model in honor of her life experiences: wars, hard work, raising children and immigrating to Israel. She is my hero and a model for success even when times are difficult.”

Photographer Viki Yamnizki is a junior high school student. This is her second year in SderotYouth.Com’s youth group.

My grandmother is 77 years old and was born in the Ukraine. When WWII broke out, she and her family fled from the invading Germans. She often went without food so that her little brothers could eat.

After she grew up, she met my grandfather Victor and they had 2 children, my aunt Vera and my father. My father was very small , with severe health problems. My grandmother contacted every hospital and doctor in her city until my father got the treatment he needed. If it hadn’t been for her, he wouldn’t be able to walk today. She also pushed him to study and develop his musical talents.

The situation was not good in the Ukraine and when my father was a young man, he decided to move to Israel. My grandmother was afraid and preferred to stay in the Ukraine, but my father insisted she come with them. They left my mother behind with a promise that they would send her a ticket as soon as they could. After making aliya, my grandmother bought a house and opened a beauty salon to support the family while my father studied Hebrew.

In spite of her age, my grandmother still takes care of the house and the family. Unfortunately she is ill and has trouble standing or walking. She is an example to us all and makes sure that no one lacks for anything. She gives, doesn’t demand anything from others, and is happy with what she has.

Neliya’s tip: Share with others, so that you be will deserving of their reward.

LirazBaranes

My Role Model: Liraz BaranezPhotographer: Tami Mirzayev

“Liraz is my mentor in ‘Building a Future,’ a Jewish Agency program that I participate in. She helps me with my school work and in the afternoons, and is a significant adult in my life.”

Photographer Tami Mirzayev is 14 years old. This is her first year in the photography group.

Liraz is my mentor. She is 27 years old, married, and has an 8 month old baby. She was born In Kiryat Malachi and has a twin sister and two younger brothers. After she graduated from High school, Liraz served in the IDF, in the Intelligence Corps.

After completing her service, she worked for a while in a bank and then found a job in ahigh school, helping students, in Kiryat Malachi.

In 2005, Liraz married a man from Sderot and from that time she has lived in our city. She entered college and earned her BA in Human Resources and Political Science.

Liraz is very smart and loves to help. She is always there when I need her. I’d like to be like her when I’m older. I want to serve in the IDF in a position that will help me later in life. I’d also like to go to college and to have a career and a family.

In Liraz, I see a model for how to behave and how I’ll manage my life as a mother and as a working woman. She has a driver’s license, something that I want, too.

Liraz’s tip: Your smile is a window into your soul.

NataliHarush

My Role Model: Natali HarushPhotographer: Hilla Harush

“When this project was announced, I was really excited by the concept. I put a lot of thought into it because, at first, I thought that I didn’t have any role models. Eventually I understood that there are a lot of significant people in my life and I learn a lot from them. I chose my mother as my role model. I was afraid at first, but knew that if I didn’t try, I would fail anyway. I’m very happy with how it turned out.”

Photographer Hilla Harush is 16 years old. This is her first year in the photography group.

My mother has a lot of common sense and has been through a lot in life. She is alwaysthere when I need her – she encourages me to correct my mistakes. She keeps me honestand motivates me to do my best; even when I’m angry, I believe that everything she does for me is for the best.

My mother’s a perfectionist and demands perfection from herself and from everyone and everything else. I’d like to be like that, because when we strive to be perfect, we do better.

My mom is 43 years old, a loving wife and a proud mother of three children. She works in a bank. My mother never had role models when she was growing up and doesn’t think that role models matter that much: “Every person must follow their dreams, their desires and their abilities.” She was pleased that I view her as my role model but encouraged me to be true to myself, and to retain my individuality.

My mother wanted to be a teacher but life drew her in different directions. She’d like to go back to school, to advance in her current job and to see her children succeed in life.

Natali’s tip: Challenge yourself, believe in your ability to do the impossible, trust yourself.

Maor Ben Hamo

My Role Model: Maor Ben HamoPhotographer: Raheli Ben Hamo

“I chose my big brother as my role model. I chose him because I admire how he always worked hard to succeed, even when his friends and teachers thought he would fail.”

Photographer Raheli Ben Hamo is 16 years old. This is her first year in the photography group.

Maor Ben Hamo is 25 years old, a mechanical engineer, and engaged to be married.

“Even when I was in high school, I aimed for the top. I wanted to succeed in things that others found challenging. I wanted to do better than what everyone expected. I kept my eyes on my far-reaching goals and studied hard.” Maor’s hard work paid off with excellentgrades and the chance to realize his dreams.

Maor says that the most important factors for his success are sticking to his plans, being stubborn, focusing on the most important things and creative thinking. He believes that we need strong values, to focus on our goals and to constantly try to improve. Both the photographer and her role model are stubborn and don’t give up easily. They both like to complain when things are tough but still go on to succeed.

Maor’s goals are to complete his MBA and Master’s of Engineering and to continue rising in management in his current place of employment. “You need to remember: you determine your path in life. You need to be alert to opportunities and to grab them with both hands.”

Moar’s tip: Aspire for perfection, insist on success, and enjoy it all!

Marina Esakov

My Role Model: Marina EsakovPhotographer: Danniel Esakov

“I chose my mother as my role model because of her life experiences. She has always given me everything I need even though our economic situation isn’t easy and she works long hours. My mom has always been ambitious and has achieved everything she has set out to do. That’s a characteristic that I’d like to have. ”

Photographer Danniel Esakov is 16 years old. This is his third year in the photography group.

Marina Esakov is 40 years old. She has three children and has worked in a factory in Sderot for more than 10 years. She was born in Uzbekistan and grew up with only one parent. She was a certified nurse and worked in the health field.

My parents married in Uzbekistan and my brother was born there. When my brother was three years old, the family made aliya. I was born in Israel. My mom worked in factoriesto support us.

Because she grew up in a single-parent home, my mother was always very responsible. She cleaned the house and took care of her brother from a very young age. “I was just like a little mother,” she says.

My mother’s leading traits are her ambition and her work ethics; thanks to them she has found success. I’d like to learn those from her so that I can find the strength to do well. My mother doesn’t believe that people need role models; instead, she says, everyone should be independent with a unique personality. But she is still proud that I picked her as my role model.

Marina’s tip: The results justify the effort.

Oshrit Abargil

My Role Model: Oshrit AbargilPhotographer: Adi Cohen

“I chose Oshrit because she is my favorite aunt. I admire how far she has managed to go in such a short time. ”

Photographer Adi Cohen attends 11th grade. This is her forth year in the photography group.

Oshrit Abargil is 29 years old. She was born in Sderot, is married and has a child. Shegrew up with a lot of siblings and her parents did manual labor all their lives to supportthem. As the baby of the family, Oshrit was coddled and given a lot of attention. Seeing how hard her parents worked and their struggle to make a living motivated Oshrit to investin her studies. Her parents instilled in her the values of education, success, ambition.

Her father particularly encouraged her – “get good grades on your matriculation exams, and you can take driving lessons.” There was always a reward for working hard and succeeding. When Oshrit earned her university degree, she was, she says, fulfilling her father’s dream which had become her dream.

Oshrit started her professional life as a typist in a local factory. Her manager recognized her potential and began advancing her to better positions. She studied accounting and today is the senior accountant for the factory. Her dream is to continue her studies and become a CPA. She appreciates how her father continually pushed her to achieve, although she doesn’t look for his rewards anymore. Today, she is motivated by her desire to support her family and to have steady employment. “My ambition now is to care for my family and raise my children to be loving, good people who are motivated to succeed.”

Oshrit’s tip: Thought creates reality – your life will go where you imagine it to be.

Shlomo Elias

My Role Model: Shlomo EliasPhotographer: Daniel Elias

“I chose my father as my role model because I admire how he has coped well with many difficulties in his life. He could easily have chosen a life of crime but decided to pursue an honest life.”

Photographer Daniel Elias is a 10th grader. This is the first year he has participated in SderotYouth.Com activities.

Shlomo Elias is 51 years old and is raising his children alone, in Sderot. He was born in Indiato a family with 7 children and immigrated to Israel in 1972 with his older sister. They wereplaced in a religious boarding school. It was very hard for them because they had no familyin Israel, did not speak Hebrew and were living with strangers. They were very poor, so Shlomo sold cookies to fellow students and worked during school vacations.

Shlomo says that they never had enough food or clothes, and no spending money for luxuries. It would have been easy to make money through criminal activities, but Shlomo stubbornly remained honest.

Shlomo married in 1983 and soon had two sons. He divorced and then met Daniel’s mother. Several years ago he had a severe heart attack and was declared clinically dead - Shlomo can tell stories of his “out of body” experience including meeting deceased loved ones before being revived – an experience that brought him closer to G-d.

When asked what his strongest characteristics are, Shlomo says, “persistence and will power – these are how I realized all my dreams and hopes.” His blessing for us is that we’ll believe in ourselves and find success in everything we wish for.

Shlomo’s tip: If not for myself, who will be for me? [God helps those who help themselves]

Maayan Cohen

My Role Model: Maayan CohenPhotographer: Assif Peretz

“Maayan is a youth counselor. I chose her because I admire her very much for the many things she has accomplished at her young age.”

Photographer Assif Peretz is 16 years old. This is the first year she has participated in SderotYouth.Com activities.

Maayan Cohen is 25 years old. She has a BEd and is finishing her Masters. She works with teens for the Sderot Municipality and is coordinator of the city’s youth council.

Maayan’s first job was at “Makom B’Lev” as a guide for a youth group; soon she was leading4 groups, and eventually she became the program coordinator. Maayan says her strongest characteristic is that she works hard: “I work very hard – once I’m given a job, I put all my effort into doing it as well as possible.”

Maayan didn’t have much self-confidence as a child. She was a poor student. She was alone a lot and didn’t have many friends during critical periods of her development. Teachers always described her as scholastically and socially weak, so she saw herself the same way. Things didn’t change until 12 th grade, when her homeroom teacher saw her as something other than a report card on legs; she realized that Maayan lacked confidence and had been neglected by the school system. She helped Maayan realize the great potential that she saw in her – to learn, to make friends, to lead and influence others. One of Maayan’s greatest triumphs was meeting a math teacher who had told her that she would never succeed, and informing him that she had received an almost perfect grade on her matriculation exams. Today she recognizes herself as strong, capable and confident, thanks to the intervention of her homeroom teacher. She says, “a good teacher is a teacher for life.”

Maayan’s tip: Be yourself – and recognize the child in yourself.

RoniElimelech

My Role Model: Roni ElimelechPhotographer: Gil Dahan

“I chose my cousin Roni as my role model because she is perfect! She is tolerant, open to ideas and has a great sense of humor. She has a great understanding of life, considering how young she is.”

Photographer Gil Dahan is 16 years old. This is the second year she has participated in SderotYouth.Com activities.

Roni is 27 years old, married and lives in Beer Sheva. She has an engineering degree in architecture and interior design. She says that the most significant period in her life was theyears she served in the IDF; she learned a lot about herself and about others. About the military, Roni says, “it’s a framework that knocks you into shape and contributes a lot to yourpersonality, for good and for bad. When I was a soldier, I learned to listen to other people with different opinions, I learned to be tolerant and to be a true friend when things got tough.” Roni was responsible for a group of 24 wonderful women soldiers. “We were together 24 hours a day; we studied together, slept in the same tent and bonded like sisters.”

After finishing her army service, Roni traveled to Canada where she trekked with other Israelis that she met along the way. Some of them remain her friends to this day.

Roni says her most important characteristics are her desire to complete her tasks well and her loyalty to her friends. She doesn’t remember having a role model, but Roni praises her parents for their hard work and the values they instilled in her and in her siblings. She was flattered to be chosen as Gil’s role model.

Roni has decided to continue her architectural studies. She is also looking forward to having children and nurturing her family.

Roni’s tip: Act with love and trust; be authentic.

Shula Dahan

My Role Model: Shula DahanPhotographer: Hen Edri

“I chose my maternal grandmother as my role model. I love her very much and appreciate how she has cared for me and worried about me, and admire all she has done in her life. When I started this project I wasn’t sure who to chose. It was a lot of fun meeting with my grandmother and interviewing her. She tells interesting stories and I learned things I had never known about her. I got to know her in a new way.”

Photographer Hen Edri is in 10th grade. This is the second year she has participated in SderotYouth.Com activities.

Shula is 58 years old and has six children. She immigrated from Morocco; she decided to sharestories from that period of her life for this interview.

When Shula was 2 years old, her family decided to make aliya. Her family settled in a farmingvillage near Jerusalem. The first two years were very hard – bandits would steal their sheep all the time, and everyone had to work hard, clearing rocks so that the fields could be plowed. Eventually the village agriculture blossomed and the residents were able to build homes and live well.

As an adult, Shula moved to Sderot and found work in the local labor council. One of her sons fell ill with meningitis. He recovered but required constant care, so Shula left her job and found a part time position closer to home, in a kindergarten, where she worked for 15 years.

Shula’s dream is to see all her family around her, all helping each other and all loving each other unconditionally.

Shula’s tip: Teach your children to love, to help and to always be there for each other, in good times and bad.

Simha Buchbut

My Role Model: Simha BuchbutPhotographer: Maayan Binyamin

“It was hard for me to pick a role model for this project, because I have so many in my life. Each has something special to offer that I admire. In the end I chose my Aunt Simha because her life has been very complex but she has lived it well. Her life is divided into ‘before the accident’ and ‘ after the accident’.”

Photographer Maayan Binyamin is in 10th grade. This is the second year she has participated in SderotYouth.Com activities.

Simha Buchbut is married and has 3 sons. “When I was in elementary school, I was a goodstudent and a good kid. When I started junior high school, my troubles started, too. Actually,it’s truer to say that I started making trouble – I learned the meaning of “rebellion” and oftenran away from home with two good friends, Tal and Sheri. We liked to hang out in Tel Aviv. I started smoking and drinking in bars when I was 14. When I was 15 I met Asher (my husband). My parents objected to my going out with him because he wasn’t working and they worried about my future.”

Simha and Tal stayed friends until the last months of their military service, when Simha discovered that Tal was using drugs. “I was so disappointed in Tal – all those years my mother had been claiming that Tal used drugs, and I had been insisting that it wasn’t true and never would be.” After her army service, Simha’s family became more accepting of Asher and the two married and moved to Ashkelon.

About this period, Simha was in a terrible car accident. She found herself in an ICU for a week. When they moved her to the orthopedics unit, she learned that her mother had been killed in the accident. Simha spent 7 months in a rehabilitation hospital, wracked by guilt over her mother’s death. In addition, one of her good friends in the hospital died of a heart attack right in front of her, a memory that still brings her to tears.

Simha’s tip: Faith endures.

The End