Housekeeping

As Workshop continues to hum along I wanted to address a few issues that have been brought to my attention. First off I would like to point out that by and large the program is going quite well. While at times minor frustrating technical issues have arisen, the seminars, tiyulim, and kvutsah experiences are going well. I also would like to apologize for delays in communication that have occurred recently. I continue to be slowed down and frustrated as it turns out I have a bone contusion in my right foot. That being said I will be making every effort to address all issues and concerns in as timely a manner as possible.

That being said a couple of issues which bear addressing and explaining have been brought to my attention. As some of you have emailed and called me about, there has been some issue with the quality and consistency of meals on Kibbutz. From my experience there and the feedback I have gotten from parents and the madrichim, often the meals in dining room are quite good or decent. Unfortunately at times the meals are just inadequate and this inconsistency is very problematic.

We have been working aggressively with the mitbach to address this issue of consistency at meals as parts of our agreement and meal plan with them have not entirely been held up on their end. It seems we have been making progress as some limited reports I have suggest that the food is getting better. I will continue to monitor the situation and assess what other measures might need to be taken to insure there is an acceptable meal and food situation for the Workshoppers.

It has also been brought to my attention that the computers in the moadon(clubhouse) have been broken. This has been frustrating on both sides as the PCs were apparently tampered with and have delayed the repair process. All the computers though are coming back online, albeit slower than was expected. There is still wireless internet and apparently a number of laptops owned by various Workshoppers so a connection to the internet should still be readily available.

Also in case it was not known to all the Workshop parents, but their is in fact a parents listserv that was created by a fellow Workshop parent. If you would be interested in joining please don't hesitate to email me and I will give you this person's contact information. The listserv is a forum for you the parents to talk to each other about your experiences and questions you might have for each other. If you have questions or concerns that you would like me to address I would strongly encourage you to contact me directly via phone or email if you would like a timely answer.

Lastly I will be going to Israel in the evening of November 12th until November 25th for a conference. I will also have the opportunity to spend some time with the Workshoppers and on Kibbutz to check in on how things are going. During that time I will be checking my email but will be slowed down in my response time. I will also be reachable by cellphone which I will keep on at all times and will give you all the number soon.