Serving to make a difference

Jewish organizations working together to provide opportunities for students to help communities in need during their winter break

This winter, a record number of Jewish college students will forgo family trips and more traditional vacation activities to participate in alternative break programs focused on serving the community.

 

The programs, sponsored and run by six organizations, provide avenues for Jewish university-age students to volunteer their time to communities in need while developing leadership skills in a Jewish environment. Activities include rebuilding homes in the US Gulf Coast, reforesting areas of Israel and aiding impoverished communities in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Israel.

  

Organizations currently participating in the coordinated program include: the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Jewish World Service, Hillel, Jewish Funds for Justice, Jewish National Fund and Yeshiva University.

 

Programs scheduled the spring and early summer expect to see some 2,500 students register, a 30% increase in participation since last year.

 

Traveling under the banner of 'Serving to Make a Difference,' all participants are expected to become ambassadors for giving back to the community upon returning home and encourage their campus peers to join similar programs in the future.

  

The idea to coordinate efforts originated from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, which focuses on creating opportunities for young adults to serve those in need.

 

“Many students want an alternative to the typical winter break activities. They want to do something meaningful: they want to serve, they want to lead and they want to make a difference,” said Lynn Schusterman, Chair of the Schusterman Family Foundation.

 

“Whether here in the US or overseas, these volunteer opportunities can transform the lives of those served, as well as those who serve," she said.