Traveling the Jewish World: A Goldman Fellow Looks Back on a Year of Global Jewish Community Service
Courtesy of JDC
If variety is the spice of life, Chaim Motzen may well be among the most seasoned travelers of the Jewish world.
Every year, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) selects qualified candidates for a year-long work-study program. And each year the fellowship changes to answer the ever-changing needs of Jewish communities throughout the world and to suit the special qualifications of each candidate.
As JDC's 1998-9 Ralph I. Goldman fellow, Motzen spent the last 12 months gaining an insider's perspective on JDC's global programs and a range of unique assignments. Chaim Motzen's journey took him to communities as far flung as Addis Ababa and Bombay.
Motzen's Jewish year began in September 1998 with an orientation period at JDC world headquarters in New York City. From there, he flew to Israel for a quick briefing, then to his field trip in Ethiopia.
Then Motzen made his way to Bombay where he participated in Jewish education and helped the community open its first Jewish community center. While Jews have been living in India for thousands of years, he noted, they have become very scattered throughout the vast city of Bombay with no recognizable Jewish neighborhoods or communal facilities. Over the past 12 years, JDC has been sending Jewish Service Corps volunteers to India to help initiate and support activities within the Jewish community. Programs such as youth groups, the women's Rosh Hodesh group, summer camps, and a Jewish newspaper, Kol India (The Voice of India) were successfully initiated.
While the two-room JCC in bustling Bombay may not fit the American image of a suburban JCC with a pool and a gym, said Motzen, it has quickly become a place where Jews of all ages and backgrounds can come together to enjoy taking part in a vibrant Jewish community. (Yes, even without a foosball table)
The dedication ceremony of the new Bombay JCC exemplified the spirit and diversity of the Indian Jewish community. No sooner had the mezuzah been affixed to the JCC's doorway, then the festivities began. The swirl of activity included a Havdalah service conducted by the JCC's youth club, a reenactment of a biblical story by the women's Rosh Hodesh study group and a fashion show featuring costumes from the different regions of India presented by the Bombay JCC teen club. At the conclusion of the celebratory ceremony members of the Indian Jewish community enjoyed Israeli dancing and traditional Indian sweets.
After his stint in India, Motzen hopped the globe to the former Soviet Union, home to the world's third largest Jewish population. Motzen spoke of his time in the city of Lugansk in the Ukraine. "One year ago, there was nothing there in terms of an organized Jewish community. Today, there are Jewish family clubs, family camps and a Hesed community center. All of it feeds the tremendous hunger these people have to rediscover their Jewish roots and live out their Judaism." Motzen led several seminars at an eight-day family camp, where three generations of Jewish families came to learn about Judaism together. Some of the older members remembered things from their childhood; the reps from the middle generation generally had no grounding in Judaism at all; the teenagers and children were eager and quick learners. With their new-found knowledge, they began to incorporate Judaism into their lives. Jewish renewal became real.
As his stay came to a close in the former Soviet Union, the situation in the Balkans reached a climax. So Chaim traveled to Albania, where JDC was conducting a large non-sectarian effort on behalf of the North American Jewish community. Chaim conducted home visits with refugees and their Albanian hosts. He described JDC activities at the time. "When the refugees came over the border, JDC provided bedding and mattresses to over 23,000 refugees. At the request of the International Rescue Committee, JDC Medical Director Dr. Rick Hodes helped to determine medical and health-related priorities and activities. JDC also repaired shelters in various refugee camps, established 100 children's libraries in various refugee camps and provided recreational kits for children. During the repatriation process, at the request of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees JDC provided medical assistance to refugees who traveled by train from Albania to Kosovo. We also brought in Israeli explosives experts who designed and administered training in the avoidance of land mines. JDC provided bags (two thousand were distributed) for use in transporting the refugees' belongings as they traveled home."
Does Motzen feel the experience has changed him? "It definitely changes your perspective on the global Jewish family," notes Motzen. "I say family, because, wherever you find a Jewish community, when a Jewish visitor shows up, everyone concentrates on the things that bind us together. Not our national differences but rather our common history is what's important. There's no denying the shared connection among all Jews. It strengthens you as a person to give of yourself and receive in turn, a stronger Jewish identity."
To apply for consideration as a Ralph I. Goldman Fellow, submit a letter of advocacy by or before November 1st, 1999. The letter should include details of educational and work experience, plans for the future, reasons for interest in the fellowship, and examples of leadership qualities. All letters should be sent to:
Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship
c/o American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
711 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017-4014
e-mail:admin@jdcny.org
For those wishing to spend an exciting year abroad performing Jewish community service on a volunteer basis, JDC's Jewish Service Corps recruits candidates throughout the year. Volunteers work mainly in the areas of formal and informal Jewish education and community development.
For those with an energy and passion for Jewish life, the Jewish Service Corps offers what well may be one of the great personal journeys of a lifetime.
If you would like to volunteer, please click to JDC's volunteer and help page or write to JDC open mail!
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