First Israel Volunteer Experience
I volunteered in Israel during the summer of 2019 through Skilled Volunteers for Israel (SVFI). Knowing that I was a music aficionado with a passion for Israel, Skilled Volunteers for Israel (SVFI) arranged for me to present lectures on classical music to social clubs and retirement homes in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It was a perfect fit, and it fulfilled me. I wanted to do more.
Post-October 7 Volunteering
The terrible events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war against Hamas and Hezbollah, affected not only the people of Israel but every Jew in the Diaspora.
Life changed for all of us.
After October 7, I wanted to return to Israel to volunteer onsite. While remaining active with SVFI as a member of the Board of Directors, I watched SVFI’s transition to an online English tutoring program. However, I’d been looking for opportunities to volunteer in person in Israel.
Navigating Volunteer Options in a Changed Israel
I knew, from serving on the Board of Directors, that SVFI had developed an up-to-date Israel Volunteer Directory to respond to the many needs of post-October 7 Israel.
In the directory, I was able to research many different volunteer programs in Israel. I was attracted to Sar-El because its objectives matched my values and interests. The basic purpose of Sar-El includes:
Working with Israeli army personnel
Creating a cultural exchange between Israel and the volunteers’ home countries
Welcoming volunteers to become goodwill ambassadors for Israel
Volunteering with Sar-El
As part of a group of 40 international volunteers, including many non-Jews, I was assigned to a medical supply army base. We were provided with basic lodging, food, and army uniforms. There were four to a room, bathrooms, and showers were located in a shared facility. All meals were served in a communal dining hall. We performed warehouse tasks related to the medical supplies needed by the soldiers in the IDF across the whole country. The work itself was straightforward and we worked under the supervision of Israeli staff on the base.
Some of the work tasks were:
· Creating and packing medical kits
· Moving cartons and boxes around the warehouse
· Managing supplies based on expiry dates
Over time, we got to know our staff supervisors very well. What stood out to me, was our ability to provide a logistical service to the Israel Defense Forces, at a time when they were very short-handed.
Truly Appreciated by the Israelis
The Israeli staff on the base were most grateful and could not thank us enough for our efforts. This was so profoundly gratifying. By doing the work required, we were indeed contributing to the needs of Israel at an incredibly challenging time. On the last day of work, I found that I was deeply moved, by having to say farewell to my young warehouse supervisor. Sar-El enabled all the volunteers to maintain the connection between the outside world and Israel.
When I came home and reflected on the Sar-El experience, I remembered the intense gratitude expressed by the Israelis for my simple work on the base. I had no idea that I would make such an impact on Israel!
I hope that many others from around the world will recognize the importance of helping Israel through volunteering.
There is nothing like volunteering in Israel to fill you with spirit!
Looking for a meaningful volunteer experience in Israel?
Check out Skilled Volunteers for Israel’s (SVFI's) premier resource for opportunities - the Israel Volunteer Directory. It lists more than 30 volunteer resources in a searchable format. SVFI updates this directory regularly.