Pan-European Program Unites Volunteers, Strengthens Jewish Life
Peering through wire-rimmed glasses, Bogumil’s piercing aqua green eyes are inviting and peaceful, complemented by his soft tone and salt-and-pepper goatee. A fixture at the Volunteer Center in Warsaw, Bogumil, 48, has for years dedicated his time to helping others, especially those in gravest need. "I think it is important that people who have no one — no family or even friends — not spend their last minutes alone…that no one should die alone." His volunteer work grew out of this compelling notion. "I feel in my heart that I should do this," he adds.
Bogumil is the first to admit that doing this kind of work can be intense and psychologically taxing; support is vital. "We have close relationships among the volunteers and we really help each other," he says, referring to what he calls the "hard-core group" of 25 individuals in Warsaw and 35 others throughout Poland who regularly devote themselves to those in need in the Jewish community. "But a greater network is always important and educational."
With the help of JDC, as voluntarism slowly begins to take root in formerly Communist countries such as Poland and throughout the former Soviet Union, efforts are being made to connect these small yet critical groups in order to help them grow, thereby supporting the infrastructure of the local communities. To this end, the Volunteer International Program (VIP), which began as a two-year pilot in 2003 with seed funding from the Dutch Humanitarian Fund and the JDC Becker Endowment, has brought together outstanding volunteers and professionals who work with volunteers from throughout Europe in order to exchange knowledge and experience. This objective is being accomplished through a series of reciprocal one-week visits to neighboring European Jewish communities and other programming developed jointly by JDC and the European Council of Jewish Communities, together with a coalition of social welfare organizations throughout Europe, with representation from Central and Eastern Europe. Given its focus on voluntarism, including the recent opening of the volunteer center in Warsaw, Poland is taking a leading role in the VIP efforts.
During the June 2004 VIP exchange, Bogumil and other volunteers from Poland visited their counterparts in St. Petersburg and Moscow. "I learned so much in Russia," he says, emphasizing the value of forging relationships with Jews in other communities and cultures. "Voluntarism is individually motivated, not something you can be obliged to do. I personally derived a lot of fulfillment and motivation from the exchange that we had, and I returned even more inspired to mobilize others." Often this process of mobilizing others means bringing Jews actively into the fold who were otherwise uninvolved. Daniel, JDC's Associate Director of Global Welfare Programs, emphasizes that, "Voluntarism is community development at its best. It is about Jews coming together to give to the community — something bigger than themselves — and in the process building themselves as well."
Lukasz, a 25-year-old PhD student in Law, wasn’t connected to the Jewish community at all before he began volunteering. He now teaches computers a couple times a week to Jewish elderly at the Day Care Center in Lodz and was part of the Polish delegation to Russia. "I was impressed by the level of activity there," he observes. "I felt really at home." He garnered so much from the experience that, when a group of volunteers from Russia made their reciprocal visit to Poland in September 2004, he traveled to Warsaw to be with them.
As much as the participants personally benefit from exchanges and ongoing communication with their pan-European counterparts, the impact is tangible in the level of service rendered to social assistance beneficiaries. Janina, Volunteer Programs Coordinator at the Jewish Social Welfare Commission in Poland, notes that "marginalized and disadvantaged Jews, especially elderly Holocaust survivors, benefit from the improved communal and voluntary infrastructure. When we take care to cultivate the volunteers and professionals, the impact is felt on all levels."
Expanding on this effort to strengthen Jewish life and communal infrastructure, more than 70 Jewish volunteers and professionals from eastern, central and western Europe, as well as the United States, ranging in age from 21 to 84 years old — met in Krakow, Poland in December 2004 for the 1st Pan-European Conference for Jewish Community Volunteers. During the three-day event, participants from bilateral exchanges shared their insights; workshops were held on the topics of creating innovative volunteer programs, training, and volunteer opportunities for different age groups. One important outcome of the conference was the development of a Best Practices Guide that will be available online as a resource for all volunteers across Europe.
"It seems like there is no border…that the needs of Jews around the world are similar," remarks Bogumil, who, among other activities, brings welfare clients to the doctor; gives lectures on Jewish tradition at the Senior meetings in the Club or retreat sessions; and visits homebound and sick elderly until — literally — their last moment. "There is a whole world out there addressing these needs, and there are many people like myself who are involved in the process. That is motivating and heartwarming."
In July 2005, a VIP seminar for Volunteer Coordinators of the various countries will be held in Poland to help facilitate volunteer exchanges between Jewish communities for the remainder of the year and to assist participating organizations in developing interesting new volunteer programs at home.
