VOLUNTEER in Israel
If you are planning a visit to Israel, you can make a meaningful contribution with the gift of your time.
If you are thinking about volunteering, please take a few moments to view this informative slideshow created by a group of women who lived the experience. It will help you identify resources to make an informed decision about volunteering in Israel either as part of an organized Volun-Tour or independently. Or watch the recorded presentation.
Sar-El Volunteers for Israel provides organized opportunities for civilian volunteer service on IDF bases. Email johanna@sar-el.org or click here.
Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP) is staffing two projects in addition to its professional firefighters initiative: The EVP Mass-Feeding Unit, working with Israel’s Home Front Command, trains volunteers to prepare fresh, healthy meals for IDF units and needy populations using a fleet of mobile kitchens. The EVP Make A Soldier Smile project has volunteers cooking meals at popup field kitchens on army bases. Contact EVP through this webform ; by emailing office1@evp.org.il; or by calling 781-713-4562 (USA) or 073-729-1954 (Israel).
Israel Food Rescue Mission is a joint effort of HaShomer HaChadash, Kol Israel and Brothers in Arms, in response to a war-related manpower crisis on Israeli farms. Volunteers may sign up for five or more days (paying their own way) or for a year-long stint doing agricultural work and sleeping on the farm. Click here to volunteer for the Israel Food Rescue Mission or email rabbirandybrown@gmail.com.
Mission Hinenu is helping understaffed hospitals by processing paperwork for licensed medical personnel (physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, therapists, psychologists, pharmacists) and non-medical personnel patient transport, feeding and other tasks) able to come to Israel to volunteer. Spearheaded by siblings Yigal Marcus and Eliana Marcus Aaron, Mission Hinenu works in partnership with the Health Ministry to find and place hospital volunteers efficiently.
Another volunteer portal for foreign physicians willing to come to Israel for two weeks during the war has been opened by Nefesh B’Nefesh in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and The Jewish Agency for Israel. Doctors with valid licenses from North America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, and the EU may apply. Click here for the NBN physician volunteer application form.
Jewish National Fund-USA is running five-day volunteer missions in Israel. Participants (ages 18 and up) will be housed in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and spend four to six hours per day working in agriculture, packing food or gift baskets for displaced families, patients or soldiers, or assisting with logistical duties at an IDF base. Click here to sign up and to get more information on JNF-USA volunteer missions.
Startup Reserves for Israel , based in New York, is recruiting thousands of tech workers to give support, guidance and staffing to some 25 companies in Israel’s high-tech sector. According to an Israel Innovation Authority and Start-Up Nation Policy Institute report , 15% to 20% of tech employees
have been mobilized for reserve duty, leaving 70 percent of Israeli tech companies operationally shorthanded.
Apply to Startup Reserves for Israel here or email info@startupreserves.org
Citrus & Salt in Tel Aviv paused its usual cooking workshops and launched Citizen’s Kitchen to provide 500 daily fresh meals for Israeli soldiers and displaced families. Sisters Aliya Fastman and Shaendl Davis, with Alon Sharaby run the project and work in cooperation with World Central Kitchen. The volunteer effort is staffed mainly by English-speaking immigrants and visitors. To volunteer at Citrus & Salt, contact Aliya Fastman, citrus.salt@gmail.com or +972-53-334-6861.
Pantry Packers of Jerusalem ordinarily provides Meals on Wheels to 37,000 families every month, and also runs soup kitchens. Now, with thousands of refugee families from the south sheltering in Jerusalem, the city asked Pantry Packers to commit to providing 6,000 meals, three times a day. Lots of extra hands are needed. To schedule a volunteer activity at Pantry Packers, email volunteer@pantrypackers.org or click here.
OneFamily needs volunteers to provide a range of services to victims of terror, from cooking and baking to visiting injured people in the hospital and more, as well as administrative support services such as social media, photography and answering phones. Apply to volunteer at OneFamily here.
Adopt-A-Safta is welcoming foreign volunteers, with access to a vehicle, to deliver Shabbat meals to isolated seniors on Friday mornings. Many of the recipients are Holocaust survivors in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Volunteers may complete this form online to help Adopt-A-Safta with meal delivery.
Other ways to support Israel and our community and other resources:
Click here for actions you can take to help bring the hostages home now. Bring Them Home Now (Hostages and Missing Families Forum of New York) is seeking donations to help support event production, transportation, security arrangements, catering and more. Donations from the community are relied upon to ensure dignified events and comfortable conditions for the families arriving from Israel. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit here.
Organizations to contribute to:
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Hostages and Missing Families Forum of New York The forum is engaged 24/7 in raising awareness, policy promotion, media, logistics, and personal assistance to families and delegations — all volunteer-based. Since Oct 7th the organization has formed a community for advocacy and support involving thousands; established a network for American families of hostages and a platform for support and action; generated significant media presence through articles, interviews, and podcasts; initiated a weekly 1,000-member running group, symbolizing solidarity; produced informative webinars with expert speakers reaching over 2,000 viewers; distributed thousands of awareness materials and organized city-wide banner displays; enhanced relationships with key political figures for sustained support.
WhatsApp updates: https://bit.ly/FamiliesHQ-USA
Mailing List: https://bit.ly/Subscribe_Families_Forum_NY
Our new website: https://www.hostagesforumny.com/
Online store: http://bit.ly/47gDXLp
Donate (tax-deductible): https://bit.ly/Donations_WA -
Israel Guide Dog Center
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Brothers and Sisters for Israel
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StandwithIsrael
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Pizza4moms/Pizza4Israel - Take one thing off an Israeli mom’s plate by sending her and her children dinner, while her husband is serving in the IDF
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LATET - Standing with families in need and those affected by the war by providing vital emergency winter equipment
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Israel Democracy HQ (Chofshei Be'Arzenu)
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Barzilai Medical Center
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American Friends of Magen David Adom
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American Friends of Soroka Medical Center
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Lone Soldier Center
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The Emergency Sderot Campaign
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The Sderot Foundation
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UJA - Federation of New York - Israel Emergency Fund
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United Hatzalah
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FIDF
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DAYBREAK Launched by the Fund for New Leadership and the Shaharit Institute, in memory of Shaharit Board Chair Moshe Ohayon z”l, who was murdered alongside his son Eliad z”l by Hamas on October 7th. DAYBREAK is rapidly providing critical financial support to crucial social initiatives during this national emergency.
Other ways to support Israel and our community:
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Attend a rally in support of Israel
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Reach out to those with family or friends in Israel
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Speak out in support of Israel
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Say a Prayer for Israel
Stay informed with these news sources:
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i24 News
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Times of Israel
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Haaretz
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YNET
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Israel's Defense and Security Forum
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Israel National News
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The Jerusalem Post
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PMW (Palestine Media Watch)
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Camera (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis)
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Honest Reporting
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MEMRI (Middle East Media and Research Institute)
Resources:
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United Hearts for Israel: If you have been affected by the crisis in Israel, we invite you to join our community of healing.
Learn More and REGISTER HERE for Wednesday sessions at 6:30 pm on ZOOM.
Sponsored by Jewish Community Services (JCS), a program within The Jewish Board’s Jewish Services division -
How to Talk to Kids About What’s Happening in Israel Right Now: This article from Kveller is a good overview of how to address age groups developmentally by expert researcher Sivan Zakai, PhD, and is short read.
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The Jewish Education Project: How to Talk to Children About Israel Today
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PJ Library: Videos to Help Parents and Kids Talk About Scary Situations
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Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event: A recovery guide for parents, teachers, and community leaders: From the Child Mind Institute, and also has age-appropriate information. It is the middle length of the previous resource and the next one.
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Israel at War- Guidelines for Families and Individuals: This longer resource guide from Ohel, a social service agency serving children and families in Brooklyn. It also gives age-appropriate information.
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Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News: From PBS Kids, this article is more general about helping kids cope with tragic events, and is better for younger kids.
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How To Talk to Children About Israel Today: From The Jewish Educator Portal, the video is good for parents and educators.
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Copies of Noa Tishby's book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, are available to borrow from the Synagogue office. Please come by to pick up a copy.
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The Tikvah Fund
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StandwithUs