Dear friends and supporters,

Summer is off to an incredibly busy and meaningful start. As we continue to live through the challenges of the ongoing war - we are so proud to continue to contribute to the resilience of Israel.

 

This year was certainly filled with countless challenges- but also with opportunities for connection, opportunities to help, and opportunities to learn. Our fellows worked tirelessly to help the communities they lived in overcome numerous hardships—whether in schools, old age homes, community centers, women's shelters, and more.

 

Each of them has made a significant impact in building the resilience of those around them over these past nine months. We sincerely thank them for being here during this very challenging time and wish them lots of success in the future. They may have completed their fellowship - but they will always be part of our tribe of changemakers. 

Our focus this summer is on assisting our partners all over the country, with an emphasis on our new Southern Volunteering Hub in Ofakim as well as our growing Northern Volunteering Hub in Haifa. We are doing this through a variety of different programs and partnerships - programs of different lengths with hundreds of volunteers from around the world. Here is a glimpse of our work:

 

This July, we're thrilled to be facilitating over 30 different volunteer projects across the country. Our dedicated volunteers are tackling a wide range of activities including fixing, cleaning, and painting various locations, food packaging, and hosting English activity fairs at schools.

 

We're mobilizing 21 buses and engaging around 650 enthusiastic volunteers, who are dedicating 1-5 days of their time with Yahel in partnership with organizations such as Birthright-Onward, Honeymoon Israel, Passages, Camp Ramah, and more. 

 

We also recently completed two additional cohorts of our Olim Shalav program for new immigrants to Israel. The groups had a meaningful experience getting to know Haifa and its communities through meaningful volunteer placements, and also were able to improve their Hebrew skills. We have been truly inspired by their willingness to leave their comfort zone, and their genuine desire to help.

 

In June and the first part of July, we hosted Yahel Together, an incredibly meaningful 6-week volunteer program. Program participants were matched with volunteer placements throughout Haifa, and participated in group volunteering days around Israel to provide support to so many amazing, resilient Israeli communities. Especially during these times, we are so thankful to our volunteers for coming to Israel to make a real impact.

 

All of the above would not be possible without our Volunteering Hubs in Haifa and Ofakim. We are so thankful to our supporters for partnering with us to expand our Volunteering Hubs as they facilitate effective and meaningful volunteering opportunities of all lengths. 

 

We invite you to read more about the expansion of Yahel's Volunteering Hubs in the EJewishPhilanthropy feature below.