.......The Hebrew name "Nofar".......
In Hebrew, "Nofar" means a water lily. It is rooted back in ancient Egypt, where the flower was named after Queen Nephratiti, who was well known amongst the Pharaoh's.
The name is of personal significance to me, as it reflects my aspiration to strengthen the connection and harmony between art, education and the earth, for a more sustainable life for humans and nature, alike.
Nofar Ben Arye
Nofar is an art and ecology teacher, an artist and an instructor of environmental sustainability. She was born in Ein Hod, a small artist village in the Carmel Mountains, in the north of Israel, where she lives to this day.
Holding a B.Ed degree in democratic education, biology and chemistry from the "Kibbutzim College" in Tel Aviv, she took additional courses on creating theatre puppets and using them in education.
Nofar studied Visualization and Guided Imagery at the "Karkur College for Holistic Medicine" in Northern Israel. She also completed a 72 hr. training in Permaculture with the renowned instructor, Talia Schneider.
The various skills and techniques that Nofar has learned along the way have formed into a unique blend, combining art, environmental education, guided imagery and the use of puppets as a therapeutic and educational tool. She offers a variety of exclusive workshops for teachers and adults, as well as to children of all ages.
Background
During my mandatory military service in Israel, I chose to work with youth at risk as a guidance counselor, within the military educational framework. My work included motivating teens to complete their high school education.
Following my military service, I went on to study permaculture. As a result, a relationship between caring for the earth and the people became a central value in my work, as expressed in the workshops. Permaculture is not merely a tool, but also a way of life, aimed at understanding and improving the connection between different aspects of life. The relationship between education, society and the environment is of particular interest to me, and as such these elements are integrated within the workshops.
In 2008, I participated in a yearlong course in guided imagery, at the "Karkur College for Holistic Medicine". It is used in the workshops to further enhance the artistic experience while facilitating personal growth. Guided imagery helps the individual make a connection between everyday experiences, and to bring more awareness into our life path. It offers a means for children and adults alike, to learn how to focus and direct their attention inwards, and in this way bring more fulfillment and joy into our lives.
In 2009, I traveled to South America and volunteered on eco-friendly farms, teaching locals how to better understand the relationship between the earth and the people. This trip sparked an interest combining older practices with modern techniques.
In 2012, I traveled again as a volunteer to Nepal, as part of an educational and environmental program called “Tevel B’tzedek”, where I worked in remote Himalayan villages with local teachers and educators. We worked with college students, school children and women, striving to strengthen the connection between third world countries and the western world. This experience illustrated even more how we humans are co-dependent on each other. Volunteering in this framework served to bridge two cultures together by promoting mutual learning and understanding, through multiculturalism.
Later that year I had the opportunity to work as a guide at "The Center for Environmental Education" in Hir’yaa, which is the largest and most central landfill in Israel. The center attracts visitors who engage in discussing alternative options to process waste via workshops and tours of the site.
My personal worldview
My life ambition is to create learning experiences that invites children and adults, to enjoy environmental education and embrace a sustainable life style.
I believe that freedom of creativity, imagination and inner awareness, can create social and environmental understanding that will lead to harmony and true balance.
You are welcome to contact me for more information of workshops for children and adults, with a set of warm and creative, simple and surprising techniques.
Yours sincerely
Nofar.