JDC Jewish Service Corps Fellow, Elizabeth Fine, who is based in Moscow, has written a wonderful piece on her blog about the recent visit to Moscow by participants on the Jewish Federations of North America Campaign Chairs and Directors mission.
Read her post at 'What Does It Mean To Give?'
Showing posts with label Jewish Service Corps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewish Service Corps. Show all posts
July 25, 2011
November 22, 2010
Wizards in Moscow?
A funny anecdote from the blog, Blue Elf of JDC Jewish Service Corps member, Elizabeth Fine who is based in Moscow:
"I’ve been using google translate to translate office emails and other emails that I don’t understand. It’s not perfect, but it usually at least gets the point across. Here’s its translation of an e-mail regarding a broken elevator:
Dear Colleagues,
Yesterday management caused the wizard to repair the elevator. Damage was abnormal. Today, again, a specialist in the diagnosis. We are asked to treat with understanding and Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hope that tomorrow will be able to detect damage.
I’m sure “wizard” wasn’t the right term, but I kind of love the idea of elevator wizards running around Moscow."
Read the original post here:
http://blueelf.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/of-wizards-and-other-magical-things/
"I’ve been using google translate to translate office emails and other emails that I don’t understand. It’s not perfect, but it usually at least gets the point across. Here’s its translation of an e-mail regarding a broken elevator:
Dear Colleagues,
Yesterday management caused the wizard to repair the elevator. Damage was abnormal. Today, again, a specialist in the diagnosis. We are asked to treat with understanding and Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hope that tomorrow will be able to detect damage.
I’m sure “wizard” wasn’t the right term, but I kind of love the idea of elevator wizards running around Moscow."
Read the original post here:
http://blueelf.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/of-wizards-and-other-magical-things/
July 16, 2010
Announcing the JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and BBYO launched a new overseas service fellowship for BBYO alumni, the JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship. This new initiative will place four BBYO alumni in JDC’s Jewish Service Corps for one year to work with overseas Jewish communities on their most pressing welfare, Jewish renewal and humanitarian needs and develop teen programming and connections to Jewish life through BBYO’s innovative leadership programming and international network. The JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship is receiving initial support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
“The JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship speaks to the definitive power of service to transform the lives of young Jews eager for a chance to make a difference in the world. We are truly fortunate that our long-time partners and friends at the Schusterman Family Foundation are once again helping us strengthen our important ties to BBYO and to Jewish service around the globe,” said JDC’s CEO Steven Schwager.
In addition to their day-to-day service agenda, JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellows will help connect North American Jewish teens with their peers abroad and facilitate the participation of these teen peers in BBYO gatherings. This connection speaks directly to BBYO’s teen-led agenda addressed by the International Teen Co-President Jeremy Sherman: "We couldn’t be more excited to strengthen BBYO’s ties to the global Jewish community. As BBYO teens, we feel a strong connection to Jewish teens everywhere, and we have long felt that bringing Jewish youth from around the world closer together should be a priority. It is inspiring to see that vision become a reality.”
“We are excited about the collaboration between BBYO and JDC, who will be working in close partnership to engage Jewish teens, strengthen global Jewish community and involve young professionals in meaningful service work,” said Lisa Eisen, national director of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and a member of BBYO’s Board of Directors. “This initiative will forge important connections between Jewish teens across the globe as they work to repair the world and build a vibrant Jewish future.”
BBYO staff will also provide training as part of JDC’s Jewish Service Corps Orientation and contribute to long-distance learning opportunities for the Fellows. Fellowship placements could include locations such as India, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Estonia, Serbia, or Ukraine. Interested BBYO alumni can learn more about the program at www.JDC.org/JewishServiceCorps JDC’s existing collaborations with BBYO include a growing number of BBYO alumni applying to JDC’s Jewish Service Corps, BBYO teens raising thousands of dollars for JDC’s global programs, and JDC providing updates and speakers on global issues to Jewish teens. Most recently, a former BBYO International Teen President, Shauna Ruda, served as a JDC Jewish Service Corps Fellow working to connect Turkish Jewish teens and the community to BBYO.
To apply for the JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship, please visit the JDC website.
“The JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship speaks to the definitive power of service to transform the lives of young Jews eager for a chance to make a difference in the world. We are truly fortunate that our long-time partners and friends at the Schusterman Family Foundation are once again helping us strengthen our important ties to BBYO and to Jewish service around the globe,” said JDC’s CEO Steven Schwager.
In addition to their day-to-day service agenda, JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellows will help connect North American Jewish teens with their peers abroad and facilitate the participation of these teen peers in BBYO gatherings. This connection speaks directly to BBYO’s teen-led agenda addressed by the International Teen Co-President Jeremy Sherman: "We couldn’t be more excited to strengthen BBYO’s ties to the global Jewish community. As BBYO teens, we feel a strong connection to Jewish teens everywhere, and we have long felt that bringing Jewish youth from around the world closer together should be a priority. It is inspiring to see that vision become a reality.”
“We are excited about the collaboration between BBYO and JDC, who will be working in close partnership to engage Jewish teens, strengthen global Jewish community and involve young professionals in meaningful service work,” said Lisa Eisen, national director of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and a member of BBYO’s Board of Directors. “This initiative will forge important connections between Jewish teens across the globe as they work to repair the world and build a vibrant Jewish future.”
BBYO staff will also provide training as part of JDC’s Jewish Service Corps Orientation and contribute to long-distance learning opportunities for the Fellows. Fellowship placements could include locations such as India, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Estonia, Serbia, or Ukraine. Interested BBYO alumni can learn more about the program at www.JDC.org/JewishServiceCorps JDC’s existing collaborations with BBYO include a growing number of BBYO alumni applying to JDC’s Jewish Service Corps, BBYO teens raising thousands of dollars for JDC’s global programs, and JDC providing updates and speakers on global issues to Jewish teens. Most recently, a former BBYO International Teen President, Shauna Ruda, served as a JDC Jewish Service Corps Fellow working to connect Turkish Jewish teens and the community to BBYO.
To apply for the JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship, please visit the JDC website.
July 7, 2010
ASYV Jewish Service Corps Volunteer Featured in PresenTense Magazine
The recently released PresenTense Magazine Jewish Heroes Issue features an article by Jewish Service Corps volunteer, Mike Brand, where he writes about his experience as a volunteer at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, a project of JDC's International Development Program.
You can read the article on the eJewish Philanthropy blog at Smile: Worthwhile – Volunteering in Rwanda.
You can read the article on the eJewish Philanthropy blog at Smile: Worthwhile – Volunteering in Rwanda.
To learn more about JDC's Jewish Service Corps, please visit the JDC website.
For more information about the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, visit
March 18, 2010
JDC Accepting Applications for 2010-2011 Jewish Service Corps
JDC is currently recruiting 2010-2011 Jewish Service Corps fellows to spend one year serving overseas!
What? JDC’s Jewish Service Corps (JSC) is a year-long, paid, professional opportunity for recent college graduates and young professionals to directly engage with the work of the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization and actively fulfill the value of Jewish responsibility.
Who? JSC fellows are catalysts for change, creating innovative programs that respond to Jewish and humanitarian needs around the world.
Where? JDC offers placements in Israel, the overseas Diaspora Jewish communities, and countries where JDC has non-sectarian projects. Locations range from India to Ethiopia, Turkey, Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, Israel, Rwanda, and more.
When? Placements run for one full year, with most beginning in September 2010.
How? Apply now at www.jdc.org/jewishservicecorps.
Deadline: April 15, 2010
For more information, contact globalservice@jdc.org.
December 29, 2009
Young and Old Celebrate Jewish Heritage in Bratislava
JDC’s Jewish Service Corps (JSC) offers young Jews a unique immersion experience into communities within the 70+ countries where JDC operates. This one-year program enables enthusiastic, knowledgeable individuals to actively engage with JDC’s global mission through service. JSC fellow Michelle Gorman has been working with the Jewish community in Bratislava, Slovakia, since October 2009. Here she talks about her experience.
It was my first official day as a volunteer in the community. I was sitting in the office and in walked a plump, elderly little man with two walking sticks and a very big smile and said, “So, you’re the American here!?”
“Guilty!” I answered, introducing myself. He then replied, “I’m Mr. Seidman. I speak very good English. I could teach you a thing or two about the English language…” And so right away I came to learn about Mr. Seidman’s outrageous personality, and the humor and enthusiasm that overflowed throughout the Jewish community here.
Yes, it is a community with a painful past. Under communism, Slovakia’s Jews lived in fear, and those days still influence the lives of these people. At the same time, this community is moving forward, driven by strong and determined personalities like Mr. Seidman’s, whom I have come to know extremely well. He not only enjoys his daily lunches in the kosher kitchen, established and supported in partnership with the Bratislava Jewish community, but he is an active participant in the Senior Coffee Club and the Jewish book club. Nearly 90, Mr. Seidman never fails to enliven things with his expert piano playing and refreshing conversation.
He’s hardly alone. I’ve come to know all the seniors in the community through weekly English classes, Israeli dancing, senior events, kosher lunches, and other community activities. In my short time here, I’ve already shared many 80- and 90-year birthdays with the group, who genuinely enjoy one another’s company.
In addition to assisting with senior-related activities, I also run Jewish weekend retreats and cultural classes for teenagers and younger children. The Jewish kindergarten classes may be the most inspiring. I work with five children, all about four years old. Maybe we don’t speak the same language, but we still speak the same culture. I sing songs with them, bake challah, teach them Hebrew words, and supervise Jewish art projects.
I was thrilled to discover that these four-year-olds participate in holiday celebrations with their families. Matthew, Ben, David, Bianca, and Theresa are the future of the community and we all benefit from the fact that they have the freedom and opportunity to nurture their Jewish involvement from a young age. I see the same enthusiasm and dedication to learning Jewish tradition from the 12-year-olds I teach in an after-school program here. Among the youth there is much hope for a future community that is strong in its connection to Jewish traditions.
I really felt this optimism during Chanukah. One arts and crafts activity brought together 12 families with young children—families who hadn’t usually participated in our weekly programs—who all left with a stronger cultural connection and pledging to return since their children had such a great time!
The second Chanukah event—a talent show and reception—was even more successful, with more than 100 people attending to watch the show. Naturally, Mr. Seidman played the piano while a 10-year-old girl played the flute. My kindergartners sang “sevivon, sov, sov sov” dressed as dreidels and spinning in circles. Everyone was “kvelling” over them the entire afternoon!
What a joyful thing to see so many community members of all ages gathered together to celebrate this holiday of hope, miracles, and the strength of the Jewish people. I truly believe that all of these events reflect the community’s determination to move forward in step with their Jewish heritage. For my part, I think I found my place in this special community in the hopes that live in the hearts of Bratislava’s Jewish community members, young and old.
I’m proud to have an ongoing role—however small—in helping them achieve their goals.
It was my first official day as a volunteer in the community. I was sitting in the office and in walked a plump, elderly little man with two walking sticks and a very big smile and said, “So, you’re the American here!?” Yes, it is a community with a painful past. Under communism, Slovakia’s Jews lived in fear, and those days still influence the lives of these people. At the same time, this community is moving forward, driven by strong and determined personalities like Mr. Seidman’s, whom I have come to know extremely well. He not only enjoys his daily lunches in the kosher kitchen, established and supported in partnership with the Bratislava Jewish community, but he is an active participant in the Senior Coffee Club and the Jewish book club. Nearly 90, Mr. Seidman never fails to enliven things with his expert piano playing and refreshing conversation.
He’s hardly alone. I’ve come to know all the seniors in the community through weekly English classes, Israeli dancing, senior events, kosher lunches, and other community activities. In my short time here, I’ve already shared many 80- and 90-year birthdays with the group, who genuinely enjoy one another’s company.
In addition to assisting with senior-related activities, I also run Jewish weekend retreats and cultural classes for teenagers and younger children. The Jewish kindergarten classes may be the most inspiring. I work with five children, all about four years old. Maybe we don’t speak the same language, but we still speak the same culture. I sing songs with them, bake challah, teach them Hebrew words, and supervise Jewish art projects.
I was thrilled to discover that these four-year-olds participate in holiday celebrations with their families. Matthew, Ben, David, Bianca, and Theresa are the future of the community and we all benefit from the fact that they have the freedom and opportunity to nurture their Jewish involvement from a young age. I see the same enthusiasm and dedication to learning Jewish tradition from the 12-year-olds I teach in an after-school program here. Among the youth there is much hope for a future community that is strong in its connection to Jewish traditions.
I really felt this optimism during Chanukah. One arts and crafts activity brought together 12 families with young children—families who hadn’t usually participated in our weekly programs—who all left with a stronger cultural connection and pledging to return since their children had such a great time!
The second Chanukah event—a talent show and reception—was even more successful, with more than 100 people attending to watch the show. Naturally, Mr. Seidman played the piano while a 10-year-old girl played the flute. My kindergartners sang “sevivon, sov, sov sov” dressed as dreidels and spinning in circles. Everyone was “kvelling” over them the entire afternoon!
What a joyful thing to see so many community members of all ages gathered together to celebrate this holiday of hope, miracles, and the strength of the Jewish people. I truly believe that all of these events reflect the community’s determination to move forward in step with their Jewish heritage. For my part, I think I found my place in this special community in the hopes that live in the hearts of Bratislava’s Jewish community members, young and old.
I’m proud to have an ongoing role—however small—in helping them achieve their goals.
August 26, 2009
Meet the Newest Members of JDC's Jewish Service Corps
In this briefing from Steve Schwager, CEO, he introduces us to the newest volunteers in JDC's Jewish Service Corps.
In the Book of Bereshit, God says to Abraham: “Lech Lecha Mey’Artzecha U’Mimoladitecha, U’miBeit Avicha el Ha’Aretz asher Ar-echa.” – “Go Forth from your native land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
Today, I would like to introduce you to the newest members of JDC’s Jewish Service Corps (JSC), the first ten of an anticipated 20 young stars who will spend the coming year serving overseas. These JSC fellows are embarking on journeys that will have a transformative impact on the communities they will serve, as well as on their own identities and commitment to the Jewish people.
Last week, during the group’s pre-departure orientation in New York, Irv and I sat down to lunch and a casual conversation with these ten inspiring young people, who in the coming weeks are heading to locations around the globe: from Israel to Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Slovakia, Turkey, and India. We were very impressed by the group, which represents communities in Texas, New York, Colorado, California, Ohio, and Mexico City, and felt inspired by their commitment and energy.
As background, the JSC program, which began in 1987 and is now part of JDC’s newly created Next Generation and Service Initiatives Department, places recent college graduates in one-year assignments overseas. JSC fellows are catalysts for change, creating innovative programs that respond to specific Jewish community needs. In turn, fellows are transformed by their experiences, returning home with an enhanced commitment to public service and the Jewish community, and a rich knowledge and understanding of Jewish community and culture in another part of the world.
In keeping with our goal of increasing opportunities for young people to engage with JDC’s mission and work around the world, we are expanding the Jewish Service Corps in 2009-2010, both in numbers and in the variety of locations served. We also hope to enrich the experience through new selection, training, and networking tools. With another group of up to ten JSC fellows set to head to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda in early December, this will be the largest number of JSC fellows placed in one year. Irv and I see Jewish service as a critical element in our plans. We believe these kinds of experiences will ensure that young North American Jews are aware of JDC’s mission, see Jewish collective responsibility as a call to action, and understand global Jewish peoplehood as something to take responsibility for and not just to participate in.
As Irv and I chatted with these remarkable individuals, what really stood out were their questions. They had detailed questions about the impact of the economic crisis on Jewish life, their role as ambassadors of JDC and the American Jewish community, where the future of Jewish life is heading, Jewish identity and affiliation, and gender differences in those who participate in Jewish communal life. Their questions remind us of how their generation sees the world and the Jewish people, while also reflecting their deep commitment toward that same world and the global Jewish family.
What is particularly unique about these fellows is that half of them have a prior connection to JDC. Grandparents and family members of three of the fellows were helped by JDC during or after the Holocaust, and two are alumni of JDC's Short-Term Service programs for college students. I share their bios with you below:
Yelena Azriyel
Placement: Kiev, Ukraine
Born in Ukraine, Yelena currently lives in New York. She recently graduated from Baruch College in Manhattan, where she majored in Human Resources Management and minored in Industrial Organization Psychology. She served as president of the Baruch Association of Russian Students.
Throughout her life, Yelena has been involved in JCC programming in the Russian-speaking Jewish community of Brooklyn, New York. In Kiev, she will utilize these skills to develop programming for teens and young adults.
Kate Berson
Placement: Jerusalem, Israel (CIMI)
Kate recently graduated from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Latin American Studies. Kate has experience working with immigrant and refugee populations through college internships, study abroad projects in Latin America, and oral history and documentary projects.
In Israel, Kate will be working at the Center for International Migration and Integration (CIMI), which seeks to facilitate effective migration management through knowledge exchange, capacity-building and technical assistance to government and non-government agencies. Kate will be involved in courses, consultations, and project development, in addition to volunteering at one of the grassroots NGOs that work with refugees and foreign workers in Israel.
Jeanine Buzali
Placement: Mumbai, India
Jeanine has a multi-cultural Jewish background, having lived in Mexico, Israel, Spain, and most recently the U.S., where she graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in Political Science and Theatre. Jeanine spent a semester abroad at La Sorbonne in Paris and a summer studying Torah, Talmud, and Modern Jewish Philosophy at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
Jeanine has always been involved in teaching and creating informal Jewish education programs, and she is looking forward to continuing her involvement in Jewish leadership and education while in Mumbai.
Kitra Cahana
Placement: Kishinev, Moldova/Minsk, Belarus
Kitra has a strong personal connection to JDC; her grandfather, originally from Vienna, fled following Kristallnacht and was supported as a refugee in Antwerp by the Joint. In addition, her grandfather's cousins fled to Shanghai, where JDC ensured their survival throughout the war. Kitra grew up in Canada, and recently completed her B.A. in Philosophy and Anthropology at McGill University in Montreal.
Kitra's creativity and award-winning photojournalism have taken her to many locations around the world, including Israel, Italy, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Kitra interned at The New York Times as a freelance photographer and is currently in Washington, D.C., interning as a photographer for National Geographic.
In Moldova and Belarus, Kitra will utilize her creative skills and talents to enhance the use of online outreach tools, document histories of local Jewish community members, and help with local programming and volunteerism models.
Molly Fried
Placement: Berlin, Germany
Molly has a special connection to JDC; her grandparents are Holocaust survivors who were helped by the Joint in Displaced Persons camps in Germany. Molly was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and recently graduated from George Washington University, where she majored in Religion with a focus on Judaism.
Molly has a strong background in both formal and informal Jewish education and has worked extensively on interfaith relations on campus. Molly is finishing up an internship at the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago, where she developed her leadership skills working on project management, interfaith exchange programs, and media relations.
Molly's knowledge of German will come in handy as the first JSC Fellow in Berlin. She will work on JDC's programs to connect Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Jewish life in Germany, develop an online newsletter, and support the JDC Activities Center and the Bambinim early childhood education program in Berlin.
Michelle Gorman
Placement: Bratislava, Slovakia
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Michelle graduated from the University of Michigan where she received a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Hebrew and Judaic Cultural Studies. For the last two years, Michelle has been living in Washington, D.C., working for the Israeli Embassy to help create new programs that raise awareness and strengthen pro-Israel education on college campuses.
Michelle’s introduction to JDC was through a JDC Short Term Service trip to Ukraine, which left her determined to one day participate in the Jewish Service Corps.
Michelle will be the first JSC Fellow in Bratislava, where she will be working at the Jewish community center developing programs for children and youth, and taking part in outreach activities to attract unaffiliated Jews to the community.
Michael Gropper
Placement: Mumbai, India
Michael is from Mission Viejo, California, and just graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Religious Studies. Michael has a strong background in informal Jewish education. He worked for many summers as a counselor and senior staff member at Jewish summer camps in California and spent a year abroad at Tel Aviv University studying Informal Jewish Education. He is also a talented musician.
Michael will use his innovative education and leadership skills and his many talents while serving as a JSC Fellow in Mumbai, where he will be teaching in the Jewish community and help conduct training and informal education programs.
Miriam Moody
Placement: Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Miriam was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and recently graduated from the University of Rochester, where she completed her B.A. with a dual major in Anthropology and Religion. Miriam has a substantial amount of teaching experience and spent a semester abroad at Ben Gurion University in Israel, where she volunteered for a Bedouin Women's Empowerment NGO.
In Dnepropetrovsk, Miriam will continue to develop the Do Good, Ukraine! project, an online infrastructure that connects individuals with non-profit organizations and matches them with volunteer opportunities. The organization aims to develop a culture of volunteerism and an increased participation in civil society.
Susan Perry
Placement: Jerusalem, Israel (AMEN/Volunteerism)
Susan is from Denton, Texas, and graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in Political Science and a minor in Jewish Studies. As UNT Hillel President, Susan was responsible for a five-fold expansion in membership and the establishment of an Interfaith Relations program. She was also involved in various Israel activism groups on campus.
Susan’s initial connection to JDC came through her participation in a Short-Term Service program in Argentina. Her natural leadership and program development skills, in addition to her love for Israel, will carry over to her new JSC placement in Israel, where she will be working in part to develop a group of young AMEN volunteers in Jerusalem.
Shauna Ruda
Placement: Izmir, Turkey
Shauna has a long connection to JDC; her grandmother was a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto who received essential support from and worked for the Joint, reuniting families after the war before starting a new life in America. Shauna grew up in Denver and just graduated from American University with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Communications. Before college, Shauna was the one person selected internationally to be the BBYO Female International Youth President, which exposed her to Jewish communities across the United States, Europe, and Israel. Shauna also worked to create the partnership between BBYO and JDC.
At American University, Shauna was affiliated with several Jewish organizations, interned at the Israeli Embassy in D.C., and studied abroad in Ghana.
While in Izmir, Shauna will work with the Liga Youth Group and the Jewish Sunday School; help with leadership training, curriculum development, and community programming; and take part in outreach efforts to unaffiliated Jews.
Whether this is the beginning of their relationship with JDC, or whether it is bringing full circle their family relationships with the Joint, Irv and I hope that all these JSC fellows will use this one-year opportunity to learn and listen, to innovate and assist.
We are sure that this program will inspire them to increase their commitment to global Jewish life and their involvement with JDC. We encourage those of you travelling over the next year for JDC visits to meet them in the field.
For more information about the JSC program or any of the 2009-2010 JSC fellows, please contact Natalie Szklarz at Natalie.szklarz@jdcny.org.
In the Book of Bereshit, God says to Abraham: “Lech Lecha Mey’Artzecha U’Mimoladitecha, U’miBeit Avicha el Ha’Aretz asher Ar-echa.” – “Go Forth from your native land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
Today, I would like to introduce you to the newest members of JDC’s Jewish Service Corps (JSC), the first ten of an anticipated 20 young stars who will spend the coming year serving overseas. These JSC fellows are embarking on journeys that will have a transformative impact on the communities they will serve, as well as on their own identities and commitment to the Jewish people.
Last week, during the group’s pre-departure orientation in New York, Irv and I sat down to lunch and a casual conversation with these ten inspiring young people, who in the coming weeks are heading to locations around the globe: from Israel to Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Slovakia, Turkey, and India. We were very impressed by the group, which represents communities in Texas, New York, Colorado, California, Ohio, and Mexico City, and felt inspired by their commitment and energy.
As background, the JSC program, which began in 1987 and is now part of JDC’s newly created Next Generation and Service Initiatives Department, places recent college graduates in one-year assignments overseas. JSC fellows are catalysts for change, creating innovative programs that respond to specific Jewish community needs. In turn, fellows are transformed by their experiences, returning home with an enhanced commitment to public service and the Jewish community, and a rich knowledge and understanding of Jewish community and culture in another part of the world.
In keeping with our goal of increasing opportunities for young people to engage with JDC’s mission and work around the world, we are expanding the Jewish Service Corps in 2009-2010, both in numbers and in the variety of locations served. We also hope to enrich the experience through new selection, training, and networking tools. With another group of up to ten JSC fellows set to head to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda in early December, this will be the largest number of JSC fellows placed in one year. Irv and I see Jewish service as a critical element in our plans. We believe these kinds of experiences will ensure that young North American Jews are aware of JDC’s mission, see Jewish collective responsibility as a call to action, and understand global Jewish peoplehood as something to take responsibility for and not just to participate in.
As Irv and I chatted with these remarkable individuals, what really stood out were their questions. They had detailed questions about the impact of the economic crisis on Jewish life, their role as ambassadors of JDC and the American Jewish community, where the future of Jewish life is heading, Jewish identity and affiliation, and gender differences in those who participate in Jewish communal life. Their questions remind us of how their generation sees the world and the Jewish people, while also reflecting their deep commitment toward that same world and the global Jewish family.
What is particularly unique about these fellows is that half of them have a prior connection to JDC. Grandparents and family members of three of the fellows were helped by JDC during or after the Holocaust, and two are alumni of JDC's Short-Term Service programs for college students. I share their bios with you below:
Yelena Azriyel
Placement: Kiev, Ukraine
Born in Ukraine, Yelena currently lives in New York. She recently graduated from Baruch College in Manhattan, where she majored in Human Resources Management and minored in Industrial Organization Psychology. She served as president of the Baruch Association of Russian Students.
Throughout her life, Yelena has been involved in JCC programming in the Russian-speaking Jewish community of Brooklyn, New York. In Kiev, she will utilize these skills to develop programming for teens and young adults.
Kate Berson
Placement: Jerusalem, Israel (CIMI)
Kate recently graduated from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Latin American Studies. Kate has experience working with immigrant and refugee populations through college internships, study abroad projects in Latin America, and oral history and documentary projects.
In Israel, Kate will be working at the Center for International Migration and Integration (CIMI), which seeks to facilitate effective migration management through knowledge exchange, capacity-building and technical assistance to government and non-government agencies. Kate will be involved in courses, consultations, and project development, in addition to volunteering at one of the grassroots NGOs that work with refugees and foreign workers in Israel.
Jeanine Buzali
Placement: Mumbai, India
Jeanine has a multi-cultural Jewish background, having lived in Mexico, Israel, Spain, and most recently the U.S., where she graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in Political Science and Theatre. Jeanine spent a semester abroad at La Sorbonne in Paris and a summer studying Torah, Talmud, and Modern Jewish Philosophy at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
Jeanine has always been involved in teaching and creating informal Jewish education programs, and she is looking forward to continuing her involvement in Jewish leadership and education while in Mumbai.
Kitra Cahana
Placement: Kishinev, Moldova/Minsk, Belarus
Kitra has a strong personal connection to JDC; her grandfather, originally from Vienna, fled following Kristallnacht and was supported as a refugee in Antwerp by the Joint. In addition, her grandfather's cousins fled to Shanghai, where JDC ensured their survival throughout the war. Kitra grew up in Canada, and recently completed her B.A. in Philosophy and Anthropology at McGill University in Montreal.
Kitra's creativity and award-winning photojournalism have taken her to many locations around the world, including Israel, Italy, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Kitra interned at The New York Times as a freelance photographer and is currently in Washington, D.C., interning as a photographer for National Geographic.
In Moldova and Belarus, Kitra will utilize her creative skills and talents to enhance the use of online outreach tools, document histories of local Jewish community members, and help with local programming and volunteerism models.
Molly Fried
Placement: Berlin, Germany
Molly has a special connection to JDC; her grandparents are Holocaust survivors who were helped by the Joint in Displaced Persons camps in Germany. Molly was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and recently graduated from George Washington University, where she majored in Religion with a focus on Judaism.
Molly has a strong background in both formal and informal Jewish education and has worked extensively on interfaith relations on campus. Molly is finishing up an internship at the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago, where she developed her leadership skills working on project management, interfaith exchange programs, and media relations.
Molly's knowledge of German will come in handy as the first JSC Fellow in Berlin. She will work on JDC's programs to connect Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Jewish life in Germany, develop an online newsletter, and support the JDC Activities Center and the Bambinim early childhood education program in Berlin.
Michelle Gorman
Placement: Bratislava, Slovakia
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Michelle graduated from the University of Michigan where she received a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Hebrew and Judaic Cultural Studies. For the last two years, Michelle has been living in Washington, D.C., working for the Israeli Embassy to help create new programs that raise awareness and strengthen pro-Israel education on college campuses.
Michelle’s introduction to JDC was through a JDC Short Term Service trip to Ukraine, which left her determined to one day participate in the Jewish Service Corps.
Michelle will be the first JSC Fellow in Bratislava, where she will be working at the Jewish community center developing programs for children and youth, and taking part in outreach activities to attract unaffiliated Jews to the community.
Michael Gropper
Placement: Mumbai, India
Michael is from Mission Viejo, California, and just graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Religious Studies. Michael has a strong background in informal Jewish education. He worked for many summers as a counselor and senior staff member at Jewish summer camps in California and spent a year abroad at Tel Aviv University studying Informal Jewish Education. He is also a talented musician.
Michael will use his innovative education and leadership skills and his many talents while serving as a JSC Fellow in Mumbai, where he will be teaching in the Jewish community and help conduct training and informal education programs.
Miriam Moody
Placement: Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Miriam was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and recently graduated from the University of Rochester, where she completed her B.A. with a dual major in Anthropology and Religion. Miriam has a substantial amount of teaching experience and spent a semester abroad at Ben Gurion University in Israel, where she volunteered for a Bedouin Women's Empowerment NGO.
In Dnepropetrovsk, Miriam will continue to develop the Do Good, Ukraine! project, an online infrastructure that connects individuals with non-profit organizations and matches them with volunteer opportunities. The organization aims to develop a culture of volunteerism and an increased participation in civil society.
Susan Perry
Placement: Jerusalem, Israel (AMEN/Volunteerism)
Susan is from Denton, Texas, and graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in Political Science and a minor in Jewish Studies. As UNT Hillel President, Susan was responsible for a five-fold expansion in membership and the establishment of an Interfaith Relations program. She was also involved in various Israel activism groups on campus.
Susan’s initial connection to JDC came through her participation in a Short-Term Service program in Argentina. Her natural leadership and program development skills, in addition to her love for Israel, will carry over to her new JSC placement in Israel, where she will be working in part to develop a group of young AMEN volunteers in Jerusalem.
Shauna Ruda
Placement: Izmir, Turkey
Shauna has a long connection to JDC; her grandmother was a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto who received essential support from and worked for the Joint, reuniting families after the war before starting a new life in America. Shauna grew up in Denver and just graduated from American University with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Communications. Before college, Shauna was the one person selected internationally to be the BBYO Female International Youth President, which exposed her to Jewish communities across the United States, Europe, and Israel. Shauna also worked to create the partnership between BBYO and JDC.
At American University, Shauna was affiliated with several Jewish organizations, interned at the Israeli Embassy in D.C., and studied abroad in Ghana.
While in Izmir, Shauna will work with the Liga Youth Group and the Jewish Sunday School; help with leadership training, curriculum development, and community programming; and take part in outreach efforts to unaffiliated Jews.
Whether this is the beginning of their relationship with JDC, or whether it is bringing full circle their family relationships with the Joint, Irv and I hope that all these JSC fellows will use this one-year opportunity to learn and listen, to innovate and assist.
We are sure that this program will inspire them to increase their commitment to global Jewish life and their involvement with JDC. We encourage those of you travelling over the next year for JDC visits to meet them in the field.
For more information about the JSC program or any of the 2009-2010 JSC fellows, please contact Natalie Szklarz at Natalie.szklarz@jdcny.org.
February 25, 2009
JSC Volunteers Learn Life Lessons of Tolerance and Unity from Righteous Gentile
Several months ago, newly wed Dina and Sol Adelsky, a young married couple, returned to the former Soviet Union—the area that their parents emigrated from—as JDC Jewish Service Corps (JSC) volunteers serving the local Jewish community of Odessa. As the University of Michigan graduates grow accustomed to life and work in Odessa, they start by visiting some of the clients of the JDC-supported Hesed welfare network—an eclectic group of the world’s neediest elderly, whose backgrounds can sometimes come as a surprise.“The interesting part is that on our visits to the elderly, we sort of assume the person we are spending time with is Jewish since they are Hesed clients,” Dina explains. But visiting the home of Irina Ivanovna Yegorova, Dina and Sol learned why this special non-Jewish woman receives vital JDC aid.
Irina is 88 years old and lives alone in a communal apartment. She has been officially recognized by the State of Israel as a Righteous Gentile for her selfless deeds during the Holocaust. As the war raged on, she and her mother hid Irina’s Jewish friend in their house. When the officers came, they instead took Irina Ivanovna to the labor camps. Irina’s friend spent the duration of the war living with Irina’s mother and survived because of their bravery. When Dina and Sol asked Irina why they took her instead of her friend to the concentration camp, Irina simply said, “No, that is just what happened,” as if responding to an unasked question.
Sol elaborates, “She doesn’t want to blame her friend for the time she spent at the camps.” While the young couple expresses that meeting Irina was personally inspirational and uplifting, they have also come to gain valuable insight into their new home from this woman’s moving tale.
“During the Holocaust, many Jews were killed or exposed to the soldiers by their Ukrainian neighbors. Odessa, however, is unique in that it is a city characterized by dozens of ethnicities living together peacefully,” Dina explains. “Many of the elderly we meet emphasize that this is a city of tolerance and unity. Irina embraced this tolerance wholeheartedly in saving a Jewish life during the Second World War.” Now this atmosphere of unity extends to the 25 Righteous Gentiles living in Odessa by including them in the services for the Jewish elderly offered by JDC. Irina receives a range of assistance that makes living each day a possibility for her: a homecare worker that comes to her apartment to help clean, arrange things, and do shopping; a delivery of food packages twice a month; an allowance of money for medication, and more.
But this life-sustaining support is in danger of being eliminated since restitution funding sources deem that Righteous Gentiles cannot be considered Nazi victims, meaning that these individuals may not receive funds alotted for victims of Nazi terror. Instead of stripping Righteous Gentiles of their services, JDC continues the search for local donors to replace those funds, so these desitute elderly who risked their own lives to save Jews can continue receiving the same services as their Jewish compatriots.
In the meantime, Dina and Sol continue on their mission as JDC Jewish Service Corps volunteers. They visit elderly Hesed clients in their homes, engage young and often vulnerable Jewish families in community life through JDC’s Jewish Family Services, teach English to youngsters at the Mazel Tov early childhood development program, and work with college-age students on Jewish renewal and volunteerism programs.
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