Tips for Volunteering in Israel
Your Role as a Volunteer
Volunteering your expertise and time is a significant investment on your part. Remember that the organization in which you are volunteering is also making an investment in you.
Non-profit organizations operate with limited staff and financial resources. This is what makes your volunteer work so valuable, but it also means that the limited staff are spending some of their finite resources on you.
Approach your assignment remembering that you are a volunteer, not a consultant or permanent staff member.
If you are having problems in Israel not related to your volunteer assignment, think about other resources you have in the country (friends or relatives) to help you rather than expecting the non-profit to support you. Your volunteer managers expect you to be independent and use them for work-related support only. If you do have a work-related problem please contact us immediately.
Thinking Big Picture on being a Skilled Volunteer
Research tells us that “Boomers“ are interested in volunteer experiences that create impact. However, finding a volunteer assignment that matches precisely with your profession may not always be possible. A physician who is not licensed as such in Israel could not volunteer as a doctor tending patients.
The key to skilled volunteering is to think broadly about your skills and interests.
For example, a doctor volunteered by helping a medical organization find and write grants to US foundations. Her medical background, command of English and familiarity with American culture and ways of doing business proved invaluable to the organization.
Israel is not America
Familiarity with Israel and speaking Hebrew are benefits to volunteering in Israel but are not required. Bear in mind that your home culture differs from Israeli culture. Such cultural differences can manifest in many ways and require patience and a good sense of humor on your part.
Despite all of our efforts to appropriately design and plan your volunteer placement, there may be times when the volunteer experiences difficulties or frustrations with an assignment or how an organization operates. Meetings may not start on time, staff may not always be ready to respond to your needs or questions or work may not be communicated as clearly as you want. Israelis tend to communicate very directly and ask questions or make statements that could be considered rude by North American standards. This is a matter of style in communication.
If you begin to experience frustration, do give the situation a bit of time to improve. Do your best to form friendly personal relationships with your co-workers. Let people get to know you. However, if the situation is not meeting your needs or expectations, please communicate with us and let your non-profit director know that you are having difficulties. Make sure that after you begin your assignment you have clarified who is your point person in the organization and what is the best way to communicate, such as regular meetings, email or just barging into the director’s office when you need him or her. Get clarity so the expectations are mutual.
Also, remember that Sunday is a work day in Israel and usually Friday is not.
