Skilled Volunteers for Israel
Source: Skilled Volunteers for Israel
Skilled Volunteers for Israel matches experienced professionals with meaningful skilled volunteer opportunities in Israel. They link the expertise of North American Jewish adults and retirees with the critical needs of Israel through volunteer engagements of one month or more. Skilled volunteering enables Jewish boomers to put their skills, wisdom, life experiences, expertise and passions to work for an Israeli nonprofit or educational organization. The advantage that mature volunteers bring to Israel is significant.
SVI volunteers augment organizational capacity when deployed strategically. A marketing executive and professor recently worked with a Tel Aviv nonprofit’s leadership team to formulate communication and outreach strategies to reach target audiences in Israel and abroad. A museum curator specializing in Asian art volunteered at a municipal museum to research and catalogue a collection of Japanese woodblock prints that could not be exhibited without the documentation she provided.
Older volunteers can expand an organization’s circle of influence through their extensive personal and professional networks. A 2012 volunteer with Women of the Wall has been speaking to groups in South Florida for the past two years – reaching hundreds with her personal story of the impact and importance of that organization and the role it plays in advocating for religious pluralism in Israel.
Skilled Volunteers for Israel facilitates an authentic contribution through the individualized volunteer assignment. Beyond the work and experience itself is the Boomers’ opportunity to model Yisrael arevim zeh l’zeh – our collective responsibility and connection to the Jewish people. One of our volunteers shared that she was motivated to volunteer in Israel to demonstrate to her grandchildren the importance of doing for Israel – in addition to writing a check to make her annual financial contribution. By volunteering, Jewish Boomers, grandparents and parents of next gen Jews, can inform the younger generations on the grassroots work for social justice going on in Israel as well as influence them on the relevance and importance of involvement in the Jewish community.
Visit the Skilled Volunteers for Israel website for more information and volunteering opportunities.