My name is Camila Barmaymon and I want to tell you a little about my experience at Aardvark Israel. I had the pleasure of participating in Spring Semester 2022 and then going to Camp NJY in Pennsylvania, United States. At the beginning of the year I was a little nervous because I didn’t know who I was going to spend the rest of the semester with, who I was going to live with, and who I was going to work with, but after landing and setting foot in Israel, all my fears disappeared. I felt normal and comfortable, I felt at home. I always wanted to live as a local in Israel, and that’s how I found Aardvark. Having just finished high school, this seemed like a good option to meet my goal. I loved being able to be in Tel Aviv, having my routine, my friends, my favorite places, and above all very special moments.
One of the reasons I chose Aardvark Israel is because I liked the idea of it being an international programme, being able to meet and connect with people from all over the world. To this day if someone asked me what my best memory is, I would say spending the afternoon at the beach in Tel Aviv, watching the beautiful sunset, surrounded by people who became my family. Knowing that each person I have met lives such a similar life in a different place will never cease to amaze me, and that is because of the traditions of Judaism that unite us.
In those months, I interned at a wonderful industrial designer’s studio, more than my boss was like a mentor. He helped me learn a lot of things and put them into practice. Today, back in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I’m starting to study for my Bachelor’s Degree in Design, something that I’ve always been passionate about. On the other hand, I am working at the Hacoaj institution as a coordinator in a project called Hadraja. Every Saturday children from kindergarten to the fourth year of high school have non-formal education activities, in order to believe and form their identity as Argentine Jews.
I left Israel with a great desire to stay and that is why I hope to return to this special place in the near future.
