Dear friends and supporters,

 

Israel's resilience post October 7th has shone through brightly. At the forefront of this resilience has been the power of volunteerism, with Israel's civil society rallying together to address numerous critical needs. Yahel takes immense pride in having facilitated the involvement of hundreds of volunteers in meaningful volunteer projects during the past seven months; it has been inspiring to see how many people have come from abroad to help Israel during these challenging times. The profound impact of volunteering in building resilience, both for the volunteers themselves and for those receiving assistance, continues to be unmistakably clear.

 

In response to the heightened needs on the ground across Israel, and the increasing interest from international volunteers eager to contribute, we are excited to announce the expansion of our efforts with the launch of two new Yahel Volunteering Hubs: the Southern Hub, serving southern Israel and based in Ofakim, and a Central Hub, serving central Israel. The new hubs, made possible through the generous support of the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and the Schafer Family Foundation, follow the success of our Haifa Hub, which has been serving the north of Israel for the past two years in partnership with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. We are incredibly grateful to our funding partners for their ongoing support and commitment to making service a central part of Israel experiences.

 

The Hubs will serve as a mechanism for engaging international volunteers in Israel in effective, responsible and meaningful short and long-term volunteering experiences. Yahel's steadfast commitment to providing meaningful volunteering experiences in partnership with local grassroots organizations, not only addresses immediate needs in Israel's communities but also cultivates deeper connections to Israel and Jewish identity amongst international volunteers.

 

With our proven track record of driving social change through volunteerism, Yahel Volunteering Hubs are poised to make a lasting impact, fostering partnerships, facilitating service-learning opportunities, and delivering high-quality experiences throughout the country, shaping the broader landscape of volunteering in Israel and beyond.

 

As we gradually launch our new hubs and significantly expand our capacity and work, we are continuing to raise funds to fully operationalize the hubs and to expand to an additional fourth hub in Jerusalem. With the support of our generous donors and partners, we look forward to building the infrastructure to receive numerous volunteers from around the world who will be able to contribute to local communities in Israel in impactful, meaningful and responsible ways.