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Krakow conference empowers volunteers in Europe
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By: JESSICA CHAIT Special to the CJN
In a region where Jewish expression was nearly destroyed by Nazism and communism, more than 70 Jewish volunteers and professionals met in Krakow, Poland, Dec. 14-16, for the first Pan-European Conference for Jewish Community Volunteers.
Participants ranged in age from 21 to 84, and we came from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom as well as Israel and the United States. During the three-day conference, participants discussed volunteer programs in their communities and promotion of regional cooperation.
One of the highlights of the conference was a candle-lighting ceremony with the Krakow Jewish community marking the eighth night of Chanukah.
Keynote speaker Moshe Levy, joining us from Modi'in, Israel, reminded us that volunteerism "is a basic tenet of our Jewish beliefs." But for communities which suffered under communism, for Jews who lost their connection to the Jewish people during World War II, and for those who lived under communist regimes until recently, enforced volunteerism and "charitable giving" has left Jews and non-Jews skeptical of organized philanthropic efforts. Despite the urge to adopt many Western ways, volunteerism is "slow going."
As the Roslyn Z. Wolf Cleveland-JDC International Fellow, I have been working for the past four months in Warsaw, Poland, with the Jewish Social Welfare Commission. I have the opportunity to be involved with the Volunteer International Program (VIP), a collaborative effort of the Jewish Social Welfare Commission in Poland, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the European Council of Jewish Communities.
Established in 2003, VIP seeks to bring together outstanding volunteers from throughout Europe and professionals who work with volunteers. We all can learn from volunteer programs in other Jewish communities how best to work with children, the elderly and the poor.
The Pan-European Conference also sought to encourage cooperation between regional counterparts facing similar situations.
For many of the participating welfare organizations, the volunteer component is new and still developing. For volunteers in Estonia, who are doing things for the first time, for example, volunteering and encouraging volunteerism can be overwhelming.
During the conference we developed a list of 28 "Best Practices" - a compilation of programs that have a volunteerism component and have been successful in each community. We are working to make the Best Practices available to all VIP participants in English, Russian and Polish on the Internet.
The conference provided not only an exchange of ideas, but also enthusiasm and spirit. I am grateful to have been part of it and look forward to what lies ahead for the Jews of Europe.
Participants ranged in age from 21 to 84, and we came from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom as well as Israel and the United States. During the three-day conference, participants discussed volunteer programs in their communities and promotion of regional cooperation.
One of the highlights of the conference was a candle-lighting ceremony with the Krakow Jewish community marking the eighth night of Chanukah.
Keynote speaker Moshe Levy, joining us from Modi'in, Israel, reminded us that volunteerism "is a basic tenet of our Jewish beliefs." But for communities which suffered under communism, for Jews who lost their connection to the Jewish people during World War II, and for those who lived under communist regimes until recently, enforced volunteerism and "charitable giving" has left Jews and non-Jews skeptical of organized philanthropic efforts. Despite the urge to adopt many Western ways, volunteerism is "slow going."
As the Roslyn Z. Wolf Cleveland-JDC International Fellow, I have been working for the past four months in Warsaw, Poland, with the Jewish Social Welfare Commission. I have the opportunity to be involved with the Volunteer International Program (VIP), a collaborative effort of the Jewish Social Welfare Commission in Poland, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the European Council of Jewish Communities.
Established in 2003, VIP seeks to bring together outstanding volunteers from throughout Europe and professionals who work with volunteers. We all can learn from volunteer programs in other Jewish communities how best to work with children, the elderly and the poor.
The Pan-European Conference also sought to encourage cooperation between regional counterparts facing similar situations.
For many of the participating welfare organizations, the volunteer component is new and still developing. For volunteers in Estonia, who are doing things for the first time, for example, volunteering and encouraging volunteerism can be overwhelming.
During the conference we developed a list of 28 "Best Practices" - a compilation of programs that have a volunteerism component and have been successful in each community. We are working to make the Best Practices available to all VIP participants in English, Russian and Polish on the Internet.
The conference provided not only an exchange of ideas, but also enthusiasm and spirit. I am grateful to have been part of it and look forward to what lies ahead for the Jews of Europe.
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