Domari Center Update

Every Tuesday and Friday I go to the Domari Center for the Advancement of Gypsies in Israel. On Tuesdays I teach English to Marwa, a 17-year-old girl who has dropped out of school. On Fridays, I usually do arts & crafts with the kids and help some of the older girls with their English homework. Yesterday I also helped out with some yard work around the center-- we filled almost 25 bags full of litter and brush! We had a fun time working alongside each other. I am really enjoying getting to know these people and hearing their stories.


The gypsies are originally a nomadic people from India, but many of them migrated to the Middle East and Eastern Europe and settled down. Traditionally their culture centered around music, dancing, and art. Today they are a persecuted minority, and struggle to maintain their culture as they assimilate into different societies. Although in Israel and the West Bank they have become Arabic-speaking Muslims, they are not accepted by either Arabs nor Jews. Many still live without electricity, and few gypsy children graduate from high school. The Domari Center exists to provide educational and economic opportunities for the gypsies while maintaining their culture and language.