ImpactIsrael reached out to Shmuel Baruch, and educator at Yemin Orde Youth Village to learn his story.
You were first a student here, right? When did you attend Yemin Orde?
I arrived at Yemin Orde as a student in 2013. I was born in France and grew up in Gan Yavne near Ashdod. My parents chose Yemin Orde for me because I wasn’t getting along in my previous schools — I wasn’t studying or putting in any effort. None of the schools wanted me.
Why did you decide to return to the Village now as an educator?
I didn’t initially think about returning. I finished my military service in August 2022, then started looking for a job. Two days after my service ended, David and Itay from Yemin Orde called me. There was an opening for a French-speaking educator and they said they immediately thought of me.
When I returned home, I told my wife Victoria, who is also a Yemin Orde alumna, about the call. She immediately understood and asked, “When are we moving to Yemin Orde?” It was clear that we would return to the Village to do this “Shlichut” (mission). Even though we postponed many things, we understood that the Village shaped us into who we are now, and needed us in that moment.
Tell us a little about what you do in your role.
I am a group counselor and lead the “Sayeret” project for the second year students. Sayeret is an extra-curricular activity for students to learn basic military skills and team building exercises. Myself and the other two instructors, Akhiyah and Roy, were both counselors and commanders in the field and so we use the lessons we learned to teach the kids resilience, strength, and confidence. In addition to Sayeret which happens after classes, I am an informal educator. This means I help make sure students are up and are going to class, I organize other activities, ensure they do chores, and still manage to maintain the balance between being the Sayeret instructor and a counselor, this is our mission.
We also established a nonprofit organization called “Yosef Oz Foundation” in memory of my friend who I lost on October 7th. The organization is part of the Village’s “Sayeret” program. Akhiyah, Roy, and I established the organization, and we will begin teaching other youth villages with our understanding of education and at-risk youth. The foundation is named after Yosef Gedalia, a good friend of mine from the unit, and we chose “Oz” (strength) to add power.
I also created a new program starting next year, American football. This program will involve students from grades 9–12, and there will be 30 participants.
I am thankful to Yemin Orde for shaping me into who I am today and am happy to have returned to shape the next generation of youth.