Growing number of young Jews turning to service to express their Jewish values
January 30th, 2023
When Jon Cohen was in college a decade ago studying biology and chemistry with plans for medical school, he knew he wanted to make a difference in the world beyond the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.
So he and some friends decided to launch a community project teaching science to children from low-income households living nearby. Every Friday, they’d conduct experiments with the kids designed to spark excitement and curiosity about the world around them in a way that would leave an impact on them beyond school.
The idea of service was something Cohen had grown up with in his more affluent Miami suburb, and he wanted to take some time off between college and medical school to devote to it. When, as a college senior, Cohen saw an email about a Jewish service fellowship with Repair the World, he applied.
“I was really interested in seeing what justice-minded Judaism was like,” Cohen recalls.
Janu Mendel, the Southeast regional director of Repair the World, tends to vegetation at a local community farm in Miami. (Courtesy of Repair the World)
Volunteers paint and restore a community space during MLK Weekend of service in New York. (Shulamit Photo + Video)
This story in JTA was sponsored by and produced in collaboration with Repair the World, which mobilizes Jews and their communities to take action to pursue a just world, igniting a lifelong commitment to service. This story was produced by JTA’s native content team.