Short-Term Service Breaks Ground in Israel

Twenty students from NYU’s Bronfman Center traveled to Akko, Israel in January 2008 as part of JDC’s Short-Term Service Program, which seeks to connect college-age Jews to the global Jewish community through meaningful volunteer opportunities. The group's volunteer work was connected to JDC’s Mishol ("Path") program—an initiative intended to help underserved, primarily immigrant communities work together to address the physical and social needs of their buildings and neighborhoods.

This project was made possible through the support of UJA-Federation of New York.

Below, NYU Senior Jill Goldstein reflects on her experience:

I left my home in sunny south Florida halfway through the final winter break of my college career to go paint bombshelters. My friends at home were surprised, to say the least. They even made fun of me a little. But they also understood, especially after I spoke to them about why I was going.

I wasn’t just going to put an extra coat of clean white paint on old fallout shelters back in freezing New York. I was a part of JDC’s "Break New Ground."

A diverse group of twenty of us from NYU’s Bronfman Center—each with different majors, backgrounds, and ways of connecting to Judaism and Israel—shared an unforgettable experience.

We were given an itinerary, but still none of us had any idea what we were in for. This trip was not just about giving, but rather we really became embedded in the community of Akko for a week.

During our first stop at the Akko Town Hall, we heard from a city Council member about the changes that have been made to increase the standard of living and tolerance of diversity in Akko. He was followed by JDC social workers, who explained a little more about the challenges still ahead and the remaining high numbers of those residents living below the poverty line. Hearing these opposing views on the lifestyle in Akko made the issues seem more real—as there is never only one side to the stories of living life, anywhere.

Painting shelters was not just a random thought for this project. Those working with the JDC Mishol program in Akko actually listened to the neighborhood to hear what they wanted. The particular building I was assigned to housed both Arabs and Jews, children and adults. They chose a theme among themselves for the shelter: a farm.

My new friends and I had wild imaginations and a specific plan. On one wall, a horse; on another, a pond with sail boats; and still another displayed butterflies and a tree with leaves made of hand-prints. I will never forget painting cow spots in the bathroom stall.

Shortly after we were sanding the walls, Deanna, an 11-year-old resident of the building joined us. Then a community activist, Ilan, and a local artist, Rina, grabbed brushes. Their artistic talents were extraordinary!

It was clear I wasn’t doing something for them; we were working together to make their shelter truly their own. This would not simply be another place where an American Jew had come to leave their mark and feel better about themselves.

Our afternoons were filled with volunteering in various community groups. I was assigned to a brand new youth center run by an Urban Kibbutz group for children in the neighborhood—both Arab and Jewish. Although I speak very little Hebrew and only a word or two of Arabic, I was taught the influence of a hug, a high-five, and a smile, which is the same in any language or culture.

I grew more confident in my choice to be a part of the JDC "Break New Ground" program as the trip progressed. Meeting the people of Akko touched my heart in a way that other programs, including various services trips to Israel, had not.

By participating in this program, I continued my personal Jewish journey making connections with others from diverse Jewish backgrounds while simultaneously deepening my bonds with Israel. While many groups and organizations tout an unconditional and unquestionable love of Israel, I feel that my dedication to Israel reaches deeper than that. I desire to contribute all I have—which at this stage of my life is my time and what I can offer physically—toward improving a place that I see as wonderful, but far from perfect. And with all of its imperfections, Israel is a vast world to be explored through interaction with its people and its challenges—and the opportunity to volunteer through JDC’s Short-Term Service Program offered all of these things.