What if United Jewish Federation of Tidewater could fund one Jewish agency that developed one sustainable-development volunteer program for hundreds of young Jews to perform Tikkun Olam in a dozen countries around the world?
It can and it does.
Jewish Agency for Israel knows that young Jews are choosing social activism over Judaism. With Project 10, healing the world meets real life. It creates a space for these idealistic tech natives who are compelled to move beyond their own families and communities, to evolve Jewishly and help humanity.
Project TEN: Global Tikkun Olam gets the culture-building job done by bringing young Jewish adults from Israel and around the world together to volunteer and study together in Israel or developing regions. Its core programs last two to five months and are developed and operated in cooperation with local organizations such as orphanages and schools, as well as with Jewish and international NGOs.
The volunteers study an integrated curriculum focusing on Jewish values and community, and engage in dialogue, with their peers from around the world, on Jewish identity. Project TEN centers are located in Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Mexico, Greece and Israel, with new centers opening soon in Cambodia, Angola and Peru. On an annual basis, Project TEN centers welcome some 300 young Jews from Israel and around the world.
Young and socially active Israeli’s who once took their identity for granted are influenced globally by their peer interactions through Project 10. They see Judaism through fresh eyes.
By changing the world, they are forever changed.
This is part of a series of articles spotlighting local and overseas partner agencies that are beneficiaries of the United Jewish Federation Tidewater’s annual Community Campaign.
- Lisa Richmon