Resources and strategies for volunteer engagement and Jewish Service-Learning

Jewish Service-Learning Journal Online – In Full

The entire issue of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service devoted to Jewish service-learning is now online! This is a great resource for professionals and researchers alike.

Speaking Different Languages: Web Development Case Study

Program providers don’t usually claim web development as a core competency. But so much of our work involves data and online applications – beginning with the forms participants fill out as a first step. Learn about the learning curve in this case study from Bend the Arc.

Volunteering for Social Activism in Israel: The Work of Ma’ase

Ma’ase Olam has rapidly become one of the leaders in Israel in the field of volunteer engagement. They run full time volunteer programs for many who would otherwise not have the chance, including Palestinian Israelis and Jews who won’t be serving in the IDF. Read more about the unique aspects of their programming.

B’Tzedek LIFE, Adaptive Leadership and Leaving My Comfort Zone

A young woman joins an immersive Jewish service-learning program – and magic happens. Read this engaging, first person account of the changes taking place in Miriam, a participant in B’tzedek’s LIFE program that took her from Connecticut to India to Israel.

Spiritual Reflection and Service

What makes our service Jewish? How can we articulate the connection between or intersection of Judaism and social justice? We begin to tackle these questions from the beginning of Corps members’ experience, even before they begin their service work.

Detroit Discussion Do’s and Don’ts

Like any question worth asking, “What is Jewish Detroit?” brought forth more questions. Like, “What language do you use to talk about Detroit and Jewish involvement in Detroit?” Here are some answers.

Introducing People of the Book, Community of Action: Exploring Jewish Service-Learning

After months of preparation, Repair the World is thrilled to introduce “People of the Book, Community of Action: Exploring Jewish Service-Learning,” the first-ever issue of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service dedicated to the field.

The Integration of Service-Learning and Jewish Studies

Service-learning has become a popular movement in higher education. And yet, the Jewish Studies field has to date had minimal interaction with, much less integration of, the practices and philosophies of service-learning and its pedagogical parallels such as civic engagement and community-based research.

In General

RepairLabs on Hiatus

Posted by: Mordy Walfish on Apr 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

RepairLabs is taking a hiatus from uploading new content as we plan to make this site more effective and rich for our readers.

In Service-Learning

On Jewish Service

Posted by: Sid Schwarz on Mar 29, 2013 | One Comment

All community service programs, whether secular or Jewish, must devote considerable time to proper preparation of travelers and intensive reflection time during and after a period of service so that the experience is meaningful for the volunteer and truly beneficial to the people and communities being “served”. This is why the field now prefers the term “service-learning” to the term “community service” because only with a strong learning component can some of the pitfalls of service be avoided and the benefits accentuated. In fact, service-learning incorporates all three dimensions that educators know are key to successful learning—knowing, feeling and doing. Put in more academic language, service-learning involves cognitive, affective and behavioral modalities in ways that classroom learning cannot even come close to delivering.

In General

The Engaged Congregation Series

Posted by: Mordy Walfish on Mar 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

Repair is pleased to present The Engaged Congregation Series, a four-part series designed to provide synagogues with a step-by-step process of creating and maintaining a culture of volunteer engagement. Volunteer engagement is a strategy that can build a congregation’s capacity beyond what staff alone can accomplish. It transforms a congregation into an engaged community in [...]

In Service-Learning

Breaking for Change: How Jewish Service-learning Influences the Alternative Break Experience

Posted by: Mordy Walfish on Mar 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Repair the World is pleased to announce the release of Breaking for Change: How Jewish Service-learning Influences the Alternative Break Experience. Conducted by Dr. Shelley Billig of RMC Research Corporation, the study investigates the impact of Immersive Jewish Service-learning (IJSL) Alternative Breaks on participants between 2009 and 2012. The study confirms what many of us [...]

In Labs News, Volunteer Engagement

National Service Agency Offers Grants

Posted by: Amy Goldsmith on Feb 27, 2013 | Leave a comment

On September 28, 2012 Repair the World hosted a conference call with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to provide an overview of the 2013 Senior Corps RSVP grant competition. The winners of these competitive grants were announced last week.