Changing the world starts here
BAR AND batmitzvah is a time when many young people discover the rewards of volunteering. In the past academic year, the Jewish Volunteering Network, JVN, has collaborated with The Zone (a joint project between Hampstead Garden Suburb and Highgate United Synagogues and the Aleph Learning Centre) to provide 25 Jewish year eights with the chance to engage in “meaningful, structured and enjoyable social action activities, to enhance their transition into becoming responsible members of the community”.
JVN acted as a broker between The Zone and three charities — Norwood, Gift and Jewish Care — to devise ageappropriate volunteering opportunities on Sunday mornings over nine weeks.
One of the weeks at Norwood involved packing collections at its warehouse in Park Royal; for Gift the students were ambassadors, collecting donations outside shops on Mitzvah Day, and they put on a Purim spiel for residents at a Jewish Care home.
Parents praised the way their children had been “introduced to the concepts of giving and community and learnt different ways they can give to their communities and other organisations... been exposed to new environments and had learnt the skills of empathy, patience and compassion”.
Sharon Bradman, senior volunteer recruiter at Norwood, says: “Norwood strives to give all children and young people opportunities they might not otherwise receive. In the run-up to their bar or batmitzvah, we believe that offering them the chance to learn about charity, to give to their community and to meet the people we support forms a fundamental part of this educational year. Through our programme with The Zone, participants gained a broader understanding of what Norwood does while the charity hopefully gained dedicated supporters of the future.”
Condensed versions of this programme have also been run in other synagogues for around 40 additional teenagers, featuring an educational session on the Jewish roots of volunteering and community responsibility.
A new scheme, Project ImpACT, is set to launch soon. It connects young people to social action and volunteering opportunities, initially in 10 communities in London, for pupils in years nine to 10. This can be linked with the Duke of Edinburgh Award. For more information or to find the nearest Project ImpACT group, contact info@projectimpact.org.uk
“Volunteering and giving back to the community should be part of every teenagers journey into adulthood,” says Chayli Fehler, director of education at Aleph Learning Centre and The Zone.
“Volunteering enhances young people’s personal character, offers a sense of empowerment, strengthens core values and helps them to grow into community-focused leaders. It channels the energy and talent of young people for a positive cause and additionally provides useful skills that can be transferred into a workplace.’’
Fehler also founded Step Up camps (stepupcamps@gmail.com) which offer volunteering opportunities in the summer and winter holidays.
The camps provide educational workshops and programmes for children and youth refugees who have fled war and violence or post a humanitarian crisis, keeping them in a safe and productive learning environment.
The Step Up programme includes English language skills, educational activities, life skills, health and hygiene workshops and vocational training, tailor-made for each setting, to give the youngsters a Step Up and increase their chances of a better future. Locations include Nepal, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and Djbouti.
The university years are another good time to volunteer (because, um, your time might not