From Alternative Winter Break Participant Jake Doobrow of Florida

Today, along with my other Young Judaean friends we visited the Lantern Light Soup Kitchen. This soup kitchen not only offers food but also offers bathrooms, showers, toiletries, doctor check-ups, and help for people applying for jobs.

This one guy who I had a delightful discussion with was named Paul. Paul had a previous job as a truck driver who drove over the permitted hours to make extra money for his family. Then Paul divorced from his wife and was all on his own. He then went and wasted all of his money. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and ended up in New Orleans. He found the soup kitchen as a place to get his life back together. So after I was done talking to Paul, I went on my phone looked for the picture from last year because I thought he looked like the same person from last year. It turned out he was the same person.

On AWB 2012, I went to the Lantern Light and had a discussion with this man and his name was unknown to me at the time. I came back this year on AWB 2013 and saw the guy and learned his name. Since visiting the Lantern Light for the past two years it has changed me as a person. The single best thing that I learned was not to judge people. Something else I’ve learned is to take advantage of what I am given. I can’t wait until AWB 2014 to help a lot more people. I hope to see the people that I saw today with jobs, owning homes, and finding an easier time making ends meet.

From Alternative Winter Break participant Aodhan Lyons of Tuscon, AZ

As wonderful and profound as it is to see a child’s smile, it is nothing compared to seeing the second part of the trip today. Going through the wealthy and simply rich portions of L.A. was stunning, beautiful, and absolutely downright painful. Every street corner had someone on it, who was homeless, or simply needed help of some kind. I wish I could have given to all of them, but there was only one of me, with just two 20’s in my pocket. My brother had been asking for change for one of his 20’s two days prior, and was laughed at by one of the men at PATH, People Assisting The Homeless, for having a twenty on him in the first place. How privileged am I to have that much money on my person?

One man had a cardboard sign in front of him that said something along the lines of: “imagine if you were in my shoes; you would want help too.” It struck my heart. How was it that people who could be so wealthy, and absolutely full of their own money, could ignore the pleas of the helpless surrounding them. There was no other way to describe this striking experience aside from just using one single word: hurtful.

There were people littering the streets of that gilded walk down the road of stars, with costumes of many kinds depicting famous figures. People laughed, and took pictures with them. It would be a lie to say I didn’t cry a little bit. They merely needed the money, and were probably degraded to costumes of people I’m sure they wanted to be; superheroes, movie stars, and the general rich public. There were at least six Spidermen along the way, blowing animal balloons, or just standing there. As my group walked by, imitating some web-slinging along the way, I couldn’t help but feel one thing: hurt. The work that AWB has been doing so far has been just a start to helping the people in need, almost hidden between the “land of fame and music” and “the happiest place on earth”.

I’m really excited for this experience, it’s something that you don’t really get to do everyday, and kids this age don’t really do this stuff. Not only do I get to participate in this amazing experience, but I get to go through it with some of my best friends.  – Ethan Gertzman (11^th Grade, Hunterdon Central Regional High, Ringoes, NJ)

I’ve been on AWB before, and it’s really just a great experience to go and help people who can’t help themselves that much. It’s really a great feeling to get do these things. Because of that, that’s why I keep coming. – Aodhan Lyons (11^th Grade, Tucson High Magnet School, Tucson, AZ)

I’m really excited to better the community. Being in another community, not my own and helping to better people’s lives, that’s not something I usually get to do. – Matthew Kreitman (11^th Grade, Fiorello H. Laguardia H.S., New York, NY)

I feel really good to give back to a community that I am not a part of, because it is rewarding to give without taking back. It is great to be able to give back with friends who feel the same way I do.  It is a great feeling to participate in tikun olam hands on and have fun! – Kareem Rabbat (10th grade, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA)

You help a person (pebble); you drop that pebble into a lake and the pebble spreads.  – Salomon Levy (10th grade, North Miami Beach, FL)

AWB allows me to explore a new perspective of the community of Los Angeles, while having fun and changing the world for the better. – Leah Klempner (9th grade, Great Neck, NY)

I’m having a lot of fun already because I have always been scared of the problems going on in the world but this has helped me help others with my friends and not be scared. – Skye Maisel (9th grade, New City, NY)

I came to AWB because I wanted to help my community without and I didn’t want to spend my winter break WASTING MY TIME, I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL. – Noah Kleiman (10th grade, Aventura, FL)

It is great to be working as a team with people I have just barely met. We are repairing the world while having fun. Everyone is enthusiastic and has a great attitude towards what we are doing. Not only are we repairing the world but we are helping out my home town as well. – Yosef Reich (11th Grade, OFL, Los Angeles, CA)

I wanted to go on AWB to help me discover more issues in the world that I didn’t know were there.  And I wanted to help out, which you don’t do everyday because people are caught up in their own daily lives and can be selfish.  This trip allows me to be selfless. – Ben-Ami Halpern (9th grade, Irvine, CA)

I really enjoyed the fact that I was helping kids experience a fun and beautiful summer camp experience that they deserve. It was all small stuff but I could tell what a huge difference it was going to make for so many kids. – Marissa Heffler (11th Grade, Anderson High School, Austin, TX)

Going in, I didn’t think that we would really make an impact on these peoples’ lives or that working at Midnight Mission and PATH would impact me. I was wrong. So many people said thank you and were unbelievably nice to us teens. I have a new found appreciation for everything I have. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with the people at these places and I had (and hopefully the group as well) had a great bonding experience. – Brett Kleiman (11th Grade, Robert M Beren Academy, Houston, TX)

AWB is inspiring to me because it allows me to jump outside my comfort zone and help those in need.  I feel that, as a Jew, it is my responsibility to give back to people who need me. – Rachel Powell (9th grade, Springfield, NJ)

I’m on AWB to make a change in a person’s life, make a difference in the community, and inspire others to do the same. – Emily Hecht (9th grade, Westfield HS, Westfield, NJ)

Written by Alternative Winter Break Participant Brett Kleiman from Houston, TX

As Team Rebuild headed up the street to volunteer at Midnight Mission, there was one overwhelming visual: the staggeringly high amount of homeless people lining the streets. We immediately knew how intense this day would be.

Rebuild helps serve meals (and help out in general) to over 600 homeless people in a little less than an hour. Needless to say, there were many great and inspiring stories from all of us. After the meal, we helped supply winter coats to whoever needed. It was a very worth-wile experience that was a great way to start our week of service.

After leaving Midnight Mission, we were to go to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) and actually cook a meal for over 150 residents of the amazing homeless shelter. The 20 of us were split up into 4 groups to help cook the meal and it was such a great way to come together as a group. The meal might have not been of 5-star quality, but it was a hit for the residents and left a huge smile on all of their faces. I was one of the 6 people helping serve food for the meal and the amount of positive energy that was in that building was palpable. We all ended up mingling with the PATH people and learning a couple important and profound life lessons from people who have seen it all.

Since I was told to keep this relatively short, I will. There were so many more things I could talk about, since each experience was so great and meaningful. So of course this was an intense day, but that is what we signed up for, and we all took it in stride. These are truly the best group of people I have ever been with and I already have a sense that this will be one of the very best Young Judaea Alternative Winter Breaks that there has ever been.

From Alternative Winter Break Participant Jacob Rogatinsky from Hollywood, FL

I am glad to say that day one of AWB New Orleans 2013 was a great success. For those who may be a little unfamiliar with how the program works, the volunteers are split into three groups so that we can help out in several city locales at once. Today, my group (Team Transform) was delighted to meet Mrs. Debra, who spends her time at the Lower Ninth Ward Apostolic Outreach Center.  An outgoing lady who likes to share her experiences, she told us how her childhood affected her decision to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina. She also urged us to realize that rebuilding the city does not just end when organizations like FEMA leave, but that it requires help from citizens and outside volunteers.

So, how has Mrs. Debra helped rebuild her community? As a Master Gardener, she took it upon herself to start a garden in her dear church’s once empty four-acre expanse. She uses this endeavor as an opportunity to teach others about sustainable living. But more importantly, she taught us the importance of cooperation between different communities. Think about it this way: we live in a global society where information is dispersed around the world in a matter of seconds. However, we are simultaneously separated in the sense that we forget about the news as soon as it stops circulating. We have to realize that just because Hurricane Katrina- or even Hurricane Sandy or the shootings at Sandy Hook- is no longer in the news, it does not mean that the victims no longer need our support. Whether we support with monetary donations, physical volunteering, or simply just raising awareness through social media, we need to understand that we are not truly global until we can peacefully cooperate together.

Now I know that I am way over my writing limit, but this brings me to one more point. Volunteering with AWB has shown me the importance of different religions, races, creeds, and ethnicities working toward common goals. We, the Jews of America, must initiate these interactions, especially considering Israel’s current situation with neighboring countries. Going back to this idea of our global community, we cannot truly be global until we eliminate the detrimental sectionalism between countries of the world, like in the Middle East. We are an influential group in the United States, and the United States is influential around the world. We have the power to initiate change for the better, but only if we have support from others. Through programs like AWB, the future generation of Jewish Americans can learn to voice itself in a way that benefits the global community.

Help Us Meet Our $100K Challenge Grant By 12/31

Shalom Chaverim,

My name is Naomi Solkowitz, I’m from Bethesda, Maryland and I hold the great privilege of serving as Young Judaea’s National Mazkira (president) this year.  I’m also a senior at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, and am looking forward to being a part of Year Course 2014-2015.

As National Mazkira, I do more than just participate in Young Judaea… I live it. As Young Judaea begins to rise on its own two feet, independent from Hadassah and blooming with new life and new blood, I’m writing to you, Judaeans of past and present, friends, and family for your help in ensuring that others like me can continue to see the world through the Young Judaea lens that has shaped me into a the leader I am.

Young Judaea has brought me around the world and around the United States.  I have worked in the Lower 9^th Ward in New Orleans and traveled to conventions and events all over the country; I have been a camper, and I’ve participated on Machon in Israel.

Through these programs, Young Judaea has taught me the difference between passive care and active change, and because of Young Judaea I refuse to do any less than the most I can do.

When I was 12 years old, my madricha at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake stood me in front of a mirror and said, “See there?  Meet an incredible Zionist.”  With that one sentence, my life was changed. 

Because of my experiences with Young Judaea, I am an activist and a conduit of change.  My presence and being are committed to the values I learned at Young Judaea and Young Judaea has consistently been committed to me.  I’m looking forward to Year Course, and to becoming a madricha at Camp Tel Yehudah and I’m looking forward to continue giving back to the movement that has given me so much.

I’m sure you are, too.

Thank you for your support,

B’ahava,

Naomi Solkowitz
National Mazkira, Young Judaea

 

If you’ve already donated, thank you very much!

PS. As an independent organization for the first time in more than 50 years, we rely on your generosity. Please consider a gift of $180 or more to support a Judaean in need at camp or in Israel.

PPS. This is the year we need ALL our alumni, families and friends to step in. No one else will. You can give online at  www.youngjudaea.org/donate or contact Director of Development and Alumni Relations Jeffrey Cahn at jeffrey.cahn@youngjudaea.org or (646) 292-2394 with your offer of support or to volunteer.

Young Judaea Global, Inc. is a tax-exempt charity under the IRS code section 501c3.

Year Course participant Sam Reichstein writes about volunteering in Bat Yam.

On my Year Course journey, I’m amazed at how much my life, and myself, have changed so much in such a short amount of time.

I am an active Young Judean,  so going on Year Course has been engrained in my head ever since I was around eleven years old. For years I would tell family and friends that I was planning to spend my first year out of high school in Israel, yet I never let myself think about it long enough to picture what exactly I would be doing.

Now Bat Yam, a 3-mile city most Americans have never heard of, with a 30% Russian population has crazily, yet indefinitely, become my home.  Bus routes have replaced my Hyundai Elantra, my local Randall’s has transformed into the ever-famous “Super-Douche”, and my days of giving my mom a full basket of laundry have become nights across the street, using free-Wi-Fi, as my 15 shekel wash awaits it’s drying moment. Though quirky and strange to those who are not experiencing this with me, these are just a few of the many changes that are building my amazing journey here in Bat Yam.

Our main focus here this semester is to volunteer, and the opportunity given to me could not be at a more rewarding location. Alongside two good friends, I help teach English at a school with children who need additional help. My first few mornings were intimidating to say the least. Never would I have imagined being scared of what eight year olds were thinking of me, but using my basic Hebrew and receiving blank stares and angry responses of “Mah?!” placed me in a terrifying circumstance.

Luckily, things turned around quickly. Before I knew it my morning walk into school brought chants of “Hi Sam!”, “Sam!”, or my distinctive home-state, “Texas!” The kids love us being there, and are beyond excited to learn anything new. It’s amazing to me how they are learning— or even attempting— to become bilingual at such a young age. There are moments when my simple Hebrew and their struggling English collide and create understanding. It makes the whole process and experience of teaching so much greater.

Though I may not be able to haggle my cab prices down when I want, and I still end up not getting off at the right bus stop, finding myself in Central Tel Aviv, I know that as my bus arrives in front of Anna Frank, feelings of ease and comfort arise as I know that this is my address. These few months have been a whirlwind, filled with fast friendships, sunny afternoons lounging on the beach, experiencing nightlife in Tel Aviv, immersing myself in as much Hebrew as possible, and helping amazing children.  In this short time, I feel like I know exactly what I am doing on Year Course, and I couldn’t be happier knowing how easy it is to call this small, eclectic city, my home.

View other pictures of Bat Yam volunteers.

Help Us Meet Our $100K Challenge Grant By 12/31

Shalom Chaverim,

Young Judaea changed my life.  And, if you’re reading this letter, I suspect it’s also true for you or someone you know.

Young Judaea programs – from club meetings to conventions, camp to Year Course – shaped me into the person I am today. My morals, my understanding of the world around me and my family would all be different had Young Judaea not influenced me during the most important times of my life.

Now, Young Judaea is at a crossroads. After 45 years under the wing of Hadassah, we have become an independent organization. The future of YJ, America’s largest and most successful Zionist youth movement, is now fully in the hands of our alumni, families, and friends.  

For decades, Young Judaeans have been singing, “Ani v’Atah Neshaneh et Ha’Olam, You and I will change the world.” Along with those words we have, in fact, also changed the world. As a movement and as individuals we have influenced and shaped some of the most important trends and institutions in Israel and the American Jewish Community.

But will we continue to change the world? Will future generations of Judaeans have the opportunity to explore their own Jewish identities and relationships to Israel with the same burning passion that drove previous generations to ask, “If not me, then who?”    

In order to survive and thrive as an independent organization, we need your support like never before. We need everyone to pitch in to help with scholarships like the ones that allowed me to go to camp and Israel when I was a kid, and with funds to keep growing our award-winning Israel programs. Thousands of teens and young adults between the ages of seven to 35 depend on this support each year.

If you gave a gift last year, thank you. Please consider increasing your gift this year to help fill in the gap. If you were waiting for the right time to include Young Judaea in your generosity at year-end, please wait no more. All donations will be matched by a generous Judaean donor up to $100,000.

The future truly is in our hands, both yours and mine.

Thank you for your commitment.

Mike Berman
President, Young Judaea Board of Directors

 

PS – As an independent organization for the first time in more than 50 years, we rely on your generosity. Please consider a gift of $180 or more to support a Judaean in need at camp or in Israel.

PPS – This is the year we need ALL our alumni, families and friends to step in. No one else will. You can give online at  youngjudaea.org/give or contact Director of Development and Alumni Relations Jeffrey Cahn at jeffrey.cahn@youngjudaea.org or (646) 292-2394 with your offer of support or to volunteer.

Young Judaea Global, Inc. is a tax-exempt charity under the IRS code section 501c3.

Sharon Schoenfeld, Director, Year Round Programs, on a recent YJ event in New Jersey.

This weekend, I had one of the more inspirational and thrilling experiences in my YJ professional career.  Over over 60 teens, young alumni staff and shlichim gathered together for an exploration of Israel beyond the headlines.

The energy in the room was electric and the sense of peer education and peer leadership was obvious.  Led by the phenomenal NJ teen leadership of Ethan Gertzman, Adina Gitomer, Tamar Arenson and Sander Miller with the support of some of YJ’s best staff, Joel Srebrenick, Alli Rovensky, Yael David and Ruby Welkovich, the weekend went off without a hitch.  After a moving Havdala service, the teens were brought together to work with Niro Taub, the YJ Northeast Shaliach, to explore a side of Israel that most of us do not know, Street Art and Graffiti.   This is not the kind of graffiti that you might see here in the US on underpasses and walls.  This street art is an expression of some of the deeper and humorous sides of the country, telling stories of culture and current events with a sense of humor, with sarcasm, but also expressing the beauty and uniqueness of Israel.  The teens had the opportunity to create their own images.  After snacking on pizza and some of the best Israeli snacks available (parents, don’t be surprised if your teens don’t ask you for some “Krembo”) the teens then settled into an exploration of technology and innovation in Israel.

We were joined by guests, YJ Southeast Shaliach Neta Shani and local community Shaliach Matan Sidi.

Other Year Round Programming News: LionFest, YJ’s gathering in February (an upgrade and twist on National Convention) is taking place from February 14-17^th 2013 at Camp Young Judaea Texas in Wimberly, Texas. See your camp friends from around the country, meet new friends, learn and help move YJ’s mission to the next level.  AND!  Take part in the first ever YJ Winter Games. The first 75 registrants pay only $280.

If you are interested in getting more involved in Young Judaea to help support our teens, please contact me at sharon.schoenfeld@youngjudaea.org

Learn more about events in New Jersey by joining the Ganei Yehudah Young Judaea group on Facebook. Learn more about national events on the general Young Judaea Facebook page.

Year Course participant Hannah Newburger on a recent field trip.

Recently section two of Year Course was one of several MASA programs invited by the WZO to a field trip to Mount Herzl. While there, we learned about many famous Zionist leaders buried there including Yitzak Rabin, Golda Meir, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, and Theodore Herzl. It was beneficial to learn about such famous people in Israeli and global history because it makes us appreciate where we are living this year. Our tour guide showed us an article which related Rabin’s assassination to Gedaliah’s assassination because they were both killed by a fellow Jew.

Sitting in a graveyard filled with soldiers that have fought and died for a Jewish nation, got me thinking about what these soldiers were defending. Not only are they defending the righteousness of Israel, but of the Jewish people as well. After discussing this and learning more about Har Herzl, we met someone who made aliyah eight years ago and is now studying law at IDC. He shared his story with us about what it was like to be a lone soldier, which I’m sure went to the hearts of other people thinking of making aliyah. Later, there was a ceremony celebrating the seventh night of Hanukkah with other gap year programs from around the world. We celebrated with music, jelly donuts, and a visit from a minister of the government. It was such a great way to celebrate the festival of lights. We were surrounded by Jews our age from around the world all in Israel to study and learn for a year, at a place where some of the most iconic leaders in Israeli and Zionist history are buried.