JDC Voices Blog

If you’re a young Jewish adult interested in a life-changing overseas service experience, we’ve got news for you!

We are excited to share a White House blogpost recognizing JDC’s work in Haiti and our partnership with USAID (the US Agency for International Development). The post, penned by Joshua DuBois, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, follows the one year anniversary of the tragic January 12th, 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

You may know–or may be–the next Ralph I. Goldman Fellow! If so, there’s still time to submit a letter of intent for this premier fellowship opportunity in global Jewish service with JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization.

Four years ago in the aftermath of the Second Lebanon War, JDC – with the support of the JFNA Israel Emergency Campaign and others – launched its New Galilee Initiative, a broad endeavor to bring long-term strength, resilience and preparedness to Israel’s north.

We caught up with a group of evacuee families in temporary accommodation in Neve Yam who had fled the ahead of the fire that ended up burning their homes. We were impressed and moved by their hope and optimism despite all they had lost. One evacuee, Niv Horovitz, told us that they didn’t want to ask for help, “but sometimes you need to.” The goal isn’t just to fix the damage “but to make things better.”

Here’s a video showing the dramatic impact of JDC’s Supportive Community for the Elderly program in Tirat HaCarmel in the fire emergency.

We’ve just met with some of the remarkable leaders and volunteers at the JDC supported Young Adult Center of Tirat HaCarmel. These young folks went into immediate action on Thursday night as the fire intensified, heading into danger zones to rescue the elderly and others in need. Check out the video.