Students at Yeshivat AMIT Kfar Ganim have been volunteering throughout the summer at a unique day camp for the special needs students at their school, and they recently staged a “Master Chef” style competition with the help of a local nonprofit organization.
Over 40 days this summer, the students volunteered with their peers who are nonverbal or have limited communication abilities, taking part in different activities and workshops.
One of the volunteers, a 7th-grade student named Harel, persuaded his father to pitch in, and together they recently produced an exciting “Master Chef” competition for the students.
Harel’s father, Shai, enlisted a nonprofit in Petach Tikva that provides food to the needy to donate all of the ingredients necessary for a daylong cooking competition. The students split up into groups and faced off while preparing different dishes. The exciting day ended with a festive lunch—cooked by the students—for everyone involved.
Rav Nitzan Berger, the school’s principal, said, “Our school educates toward acceptance of the other through mutual giving. It was moving to see how much the students care for their friends in the communication class—they volunteered during their summer vacation and even got their parents involved.”
Yeshivat AMIT Kfar Ganim prides itself on inclusion: 30% of each grade consists of students considered outside of the mainstream, whether autistic or requiring other special education needs. In addition, 10% of the student body at is of Ethiopian descent, more than any other high school in Petach Tikva.
