ELIYA opens its doors and welcomes visits in its Day Care Centers from students studying health care and education professions.
About two months ago, we received a very moving letter from Goren Dayan, a student studying for his master’s degree in the program: “Technology and Learning” at the School of Education, Tel Aviv University, who visited the Petach Tikva Day Care Center and this is what he wrote:
There was a lot of magic in the special children I saw this morning.
“I’ll start from the end. These were moments of sanity and actually two hours of disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, politics, work and everything else…
You enter the holy hall of good people, a wonderful team of people who do not give up on a hug, who only have kind words, compassion and a constant smile. A home of compassion and goodness for wonderful children who deserve everything we are able to give them as a society. Several minutes passed after I entered and I felt the tears run down my cheeks. Not out of pity, but out of admiration for the good people. When I encounter pure goodness – I am filled with emotions.
I was fascinated by the small details, by the constant thought of the people about every detail, about an accessory that is attached to the closet so that the child should be able to identify it, the separation between the different areas in the class, the games… and there was also a hydrotherapic pool and a Dark Room, a paradise for “challenged children” and a paradise for those who deserve it.
And I thought to myself why didn’t I have the opportunity to visit such a place as a pupil in elementary school, or even better, in high school? In an alienated world that sanctifies the self, it would only be appropriate that teenagers should be privileged (yes I mean privileged) to see how a hug, endless love, years of experience and knowledge, at the end succeed to turn disability and challenge into an opportunity to live a normal and regular life. If I could whisper into the ear of any of the officials at the Ministry of Education, I would promote visits on a regular basis to the Garden of Eden – and the Garden is named Gan ELIYA.
I assume that due to the young age of the kindergarten children, most of the supporting accessories were based on low tech, and as they grow, it can be assumed that more advanced tools and technologies will be integrated. The truth is that I wasn’t looking for technology at all. The paradise I visited this morning has the most advanced technology in the world and it is based on love and compassion. You probably don’t need much more than that, certainly not at this age.
There was a lot of magic in the special children I saw this morning. As if they knew they had to try harder, that it wouldn’t be easy for them, and even if it was just in my imagination, I know I saw happy children, children who are surrounded by so much love and support.
A famous quote states that the resilience of society is measured by its weakest link. I had a wonderful experience this morning and any further words will be unnecessary. I saw the weak link, and I saw the resilience of society.”
Goren Dayan
MA student in the “Technology and Learning” program, School of Education, Tel Aviv University
