Alternative Spring Break: North American College Students Traverse the Equator to Understand Tikkun Olam

A joint program between the JDC and Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, with special funding from the Howard and Leslie Schultz Family Foundation of Dallas the Morton H. Meyerson Family Tzedekah Fund and others, the initiative is designed to instill in college-age Americans a sense of civic responsibility and to model the Jewish value of community involvement. Having just successfully completed its second year, the program has yielded important connections between many future North American Jewish leaders and overseas Jewish communities.

Gary, a sophomore at the University of Texas who is active with Texas Hillel, explains the unique agenda held by himself and his fellow participants in this year’s trip. "We wanted to learn as much as we could about the devastating economic crisis that hit Argentina in December 2001, to bond with our peers from Argentina Hillel, and most importantly, to get our hands dirty and make a difference."

And they did just that. For the 25 volunteers hand-picked by Hillel, JDC prepared a week-long itinerary of learning about and assisting Jews in need in Argentina. Their first stop was the JDC-sponsored Baby Help Center in Buenos Aires, which provides social and medical assistance to children (ages 0-3 years) in distress and support to their struggling families. There the students heard harrowing stories of mothers who had been on the brink of suicide because of the crisis and were uplifted by the help from the Center. The group created finger puppets for the children to play with, and assembled packages of formula, soaps, and other supplies that would be distributed to the Center’s beneficiaries. "We had a connection to the Baby Help Center even before coming to Argentina," explains Gary. "We had collected five huge bags of baby clothes and toys, and also raised $2,200 on campus, primarily by means of a Latin American Dance Party that we, the students, organized." This donation enabled the Baby Help Center to buy 22 new strollers for the children.

During the week, the students visited one of the poorest shantytowns in Buenos Aires — a neighborhood often neglected by the rest of Argentina. They were shocked to see that the center of the shantytown is nearly 7 feet above the surrounding area, owing to its being built on an abandoned landfill. "It was a transformational experience," says Gary. "It helped us to understand that the economic downturn in Argentina did not discriminate between the various religious sects of the country, and it opened our eyes to human suffering."

For many participants, the climax of the trip was the two days spent in Moisesville, a remote farming town 300 miles northwest of Buenos Aires founded in the late 1800s as a refuge for Jews fleeing European persecution. Once home to over 5,000 Jews, today only 250 remain. As Moisesville does not get many visitors, the town was thrilled to receive the students. To receive the guests, the community opened its Jewish theater and put on a performance of traditional song and dance.

There the group also visited the Jewish history museum, which conveyed the challenges that the Jewish pioneers faced when they first settled the land in this part of Argentina. Despite the dire economic circumstances in the country, the curator continues to volunteer her time and energy to maintaining the beautiful museum. "It was so important to this woman to transmit the history of her people to the next generations," notes Gary, who found the visit particularly poignant. "It sent a powerful message to us that, as Jewish people, no matter where we come from or where we are going, our Jewish identity will always be a priority."

While in Moises Ville, the volunteers repainted classrooms, tables, and benches in the town’s Jewish school. They performed the tasks with such gusto and speed that they chose to take on additional projects — painting a playground set as well as a mural on the wall surrounding the school. "The children and teachers were so touched by what we had done that they presented us with a handmade poster expressing their gratitude," Gary added.

Having returned home to Texas a few short months ago with "a profound sense of responsibility," the group has already begun the process of tying their own communities to fellow Jews in Argentina, simultaneously crystallizing their own ties and experience abroad. "Like all of us, I went to Argentina in the hope of making a difference for the Jewish community there—and I think I did," says Gary. "What I never imagined, though, was the impact the experience would have on me. I feel a personal connection to the Jews of Argentina and feel compelled to ‘give back.’"

Among other ideas, the group is thinking of developing an "Adopt-A-Child" Campaign, through which they will ask their friends, families and communities to donate money to support a Baby Help child. "We were amazed to learn in Argentina that the annual cost per child supported by the Baby Help Center is only $360. Saving one dollar a day can make such a tremendous difference," says Gary, excitement seeping through his words. The group is also working to educate their communities about the situation in Argentina and JDC’s work, speaking at their synagogues, Jewish community centers, and religious schools and writing articles for local papers.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow Spring Breakers, Gary expressed the awareness sparked by getting to experience, firsthand, the Jewish communities of Argentina. "Prior to the trip, I had no idea that this organization called JDC, representing the North American Jewish community, was providing critical humanitarian relief around the world. After the week in Argentina, I came to appreciate the incredibly important work of the JDC and its passionate commitment to Tikkun Olam — not only in South America, but also across the globe, in places like Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, Israel, and even China." As a result of what these students describe as a "life-changing experience," 25 young adults now understand what it means to live in poverty, distress and total despair — and why they must step forward to make a difference. "We departed for Argentina as ambassadors for the United States. We returned to the United States as ambassadors for Argentina."