Tivnu Blog

Every Monday morning I intern at Portland Homeless Family Solution’s day shelter, Thirteen Salmon. I take the bus and arrive about 15 minutes before the shelter opens. In those 15 minutes, I’ve noticed something very striking....

The main theme I’ve noticed in my life since I’ve been in the Tivnu Gap Year is improvement, in many different aspects. While it’s only been 7 weeks since we arrived in Portland, it is promising to see my personal maturity grow exponentially....

A long time ago there was a rainy town (much like Portland) that had a Jewish community. As the calendar turned to fall it came time to build a סוכה (sukkah) for the holiday of סוכות (sukkot). ...

Monday: We had our individual internships at local non-profits until around 12:30. I have been interning with Sisters of the Road, a local cafe that seeks to create a "space to build community, empower ourselves, learn from one another, dine with dignity and organize for justice and human rights for all"....

Last Sunday, the group loaded up the van and headed to Seaside, Oregon. Seaside is a small coastal town similar to most in New Jersey, where I come from, with its strip of stores selling key chains, buckets, and various nick-knacks....

Ah, camping… A word that rattles everyone’s minds when it is brought up. In our fast paced society, many of us aren’t fond of spending our days without technology or a warm bed to sleep in....

What struck me about going on Tivnu’s camping trip was that I originally thought it would be extremely difficult. I thought we’d have to sleep on the ground, or fish for your own food. Because this is a gap year program focused on construction work and building, I had imagined camping in a much harder way....

The hectic nature of traveling cross-country mixed with the fear and nervousness associated with moving into a new phase of your life made for both a physically and emotionally exhausting day. My shoulders immediately relaxed at the sight of Steve’s (Tivnu’s founder) warm smile and sleeveless shirt. ...

It's the first week ever of the Tivnu: Building Justice Gap Year Program. The above statistics are a snapshot of the demographics of the group. We come from different types of schools, different regions of the country, we’ve got different areas of interest, and we have all chosen to try something new. Together....

I was one of the last people to land in Portland so when I first arrived at Shaarie Torah, I didn’t know what to expect. But when I walked in, I felt an instant sense of relief, because everyone was so inviting and friendly. ...