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J-Serve is the annual day of service for Jewish youth throughout the world. It is a day on which Jewish teens join their counterparts in other faith communities, other cities and other countries in giving of their time to serve the communities in which they live.

 

Press

Media Inquires Press Release FAQ/Fact Sheet


Media Inquiries to:

Jodi Garber-Simon
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values
p: (301)770-5070 ext.222
jodigs@panim.org

Press Release

10,000 JEWISH TEENS NATIONWIDE AIM TO IMPROVE THE WORLD DURING DAY OF SERVICE, SUNDAY, APRIL 13th

Ten thousand Jewish teens from across the United States, Canada, and Israel will participate in a day of community service and improvement projects as they take part in J Serve, a national day of volunteerism and engagement on April 13.

With over sixty-five communities registered, teens will be participating in a variety of different projects on this year’s day of Jewish youth service. Included in this year’s projects are a beach cleanup along the coast of Northern California; a wetlands restoration project in New Orleans; a rally and walkathon to raise money to end the genocide in Darfur in Montclair, New Jersey; and project to craft blankets to be donated to children who are victims of abuse and neglect in Southfield, Michigan. Most of the projects were conceived of and orchestrated entirely by teens in each of the communities who are committed to influencing change and making a difference.

“It’s really great to be a part of an event that will not only make a difference in our own community, but that is also a part of a larger nationwide movement to make a difference” Cheryl Marshall-Petricoff, a project leader in Montclair, New Jersey commented.

This year marks the fourth in which thousands of Jewish youth from coast to coast will turn out in force for J Serve, designed to encourage Jewish service, community building and creation of connections across religious and societal lines.

J Serve 2008 is a collaboration of PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values and the Jewish Coalition for Service, with additional support by partner agencies and foundations.

“What makes J Serve so powerful is that it enables the entire Jewish community to act in a unified fashion, transcending denominational and institutional lines,” said Rabbi Sid Schwarz, president and founder of PANIM. “J Serve empowers teens by making them aware that through service they can become positive change agents--fulfilling the Jewish mandates to bring tzedek, justice, to the world. The fact that thousands of teens participate in J Serve annually shows both the commitment of the Jewish people to service as well as the strength of the unified Jewish community.”

J Serve 2008 is the Jewish service component of the annual Global Youth Service Day of Youth Service America. J Serve 2007 generated 62 community service projects across the country and attracted 7,000 teen volunteers.

“The teens participating in J Serve are energetic, enthusiastic and anxious to improve their communities through hands-on volunteer service,” said Whitney Blom, executive director of The Jewish Coalition for Service. “They are committed to making a difference. J Serve gives them this opportunity, and provides them with the tools and experiences to become engaged citizens working towards positive change in the communities in which they live.”

Those interested in participating in a J Serve project can find additional information on the J Serve website, www.jserve.org.

J Serve 2008 is a collaboration of PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values and the Jewish Coalition for Service, with additional support by partner agencies. The initiative is generously underwritten by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Award Committee, the Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation and the Estelle Friedman Gervis Family Foundation.

PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values educates, inspires and empowers Jewish youth to a lifetime of leadership, service and advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people and society at large. PANIM’s unique approach to Jewish education – integrating Jewish learning, values and social responsibility – reinforces Jewish identity and inspires a commitment to become agents for positive social change in the world. Since 1988, its flagship programs, Panim el Panim and the Jewish Civics Initiative, have reached more than 15,000 Jewish teens from more than 200 communities across the United States. PANIM programs allow students to explore public policy issues, activism and social justice through a Jewish lens.

The Jewish Coalition for Service aims to inspire Jewish community members to dedicate a part of their lives to full-time, hands-on volunteer service. The Coalition acts as a clearinghouse and central resource for volunteers and project organizers for numerous programs in North America, Israel, and elsewhere around the world. Participants, age 15 through retirement, work, study and volunteer together and collectively underscore Jewish community solidarity and concern for those in crisis around the world.


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FAQ/Fact Sheet

Click here for the J-Serve fact sheet.


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J-Serve has been generously underwritten by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Awards Committee, the Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation and the Estelle Friedman Gervis Family Foundation.