My eyes were opened to the reality of the problems facing our society today and the Jewish perspective on social action.. I will now take advantage of opportunities in my community to make real change, through community service and through lobbying and writing to Congress. - Josh Furman JCI alumnus San Antonio, TX
Study is greater [than practice alone]
for it leads to good deeds.
- Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 40b
The Jewish Civics Initiative (JCI) was created by
PANIM in 1994. JCI is a year-long service-learning
experience for Jewish teenagers under the sponsorship
of a community-wide Jewish educational institution.
At the present, more than 30 agencies participate
in at least one component of the JCI program, representing
15 states and an estimated number of more than 900
students.
The objectives of JCI since its inception
have been to:
To deepen the commitment to the
Judaic imperative for civic and social responsibility
and to the Jewish community’s role in American
public life and in world affairs;
To provide a greater appreciation
for the enduring wisdom of Jewish texts and values
through the examination of their relevance to a
variety of social and political issues.
To stimulate leadership, activism
and advocacy on the social issues that challenge
our communities, our nation and the world so that
our alumni can become agents for positive change
in society.
To facilitate the involvement
of Jewish students in Judaically and educationally
framed service activities that benefit the general
and/or Jewish community.
In addition, we have two other texts available. Our original JCI curriculum, Jewish Civics: A Tikkun Olam/World Repair Manual engaged hundreds of teenagers for over a dozen years. And, for those classes of students with a
stronger facility with Jewish texts, we also offer
Jews, Judaism, and Civic Responsibility,
a second curriculum originally designed for Jewish
Day School students.
JCI
Curriculum
The JCI course is based on PANIM’s new service-learning resource: Just: Judaism. Action. Social Change. Incorporating the most innovative teaching strategies
that effectively engage young adults, the curriculum
provides a Jewish values lens through which students
are encouraged to explore a wide range of contemporary
social and political issues.
As a part of the JCI program, PANIM provides training to teachers as well as year round consultation to staff in participating communities. The curriculum and materials can be found at www.justaction.org, where you may also order a hard copy of the guide.
At www.justaction.org, you may also access and submit lessons to a lesson bank.
We also have conference calls from time to time on topics in Jewish service-learning.
JCI Seminar
Educators - Need help with recruitment ideas? Click here...
The centerpiece of the JCI program is an exciting
leadership seminar in Washington D.C. The
JCI Seminar features:
briefings with leading policy makers and/or advocacy
experts
limud (Jewish learning) sessions
community service projects that model the social
change projects students might implement in their
home communities.
The JCI Seminar energizes teens to take the
knowledge they gain from their Jewish Civics course
and put it into action while exploring the nation's
capital.
I enjoyed the chance to make
new friends at the JCI Retreat while studying the
connection between Jewish texts and the environment. Meeting
my Congresswoman was great!
A Sampling of Service Projects from the 2006-2007 school year
At the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater VA, JCI students organized Darfest, a musical event designed to raise money to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Several hundred people attended, four bands played, representatives from the Lost Boys of Sudan spoke, and thousands of dollars were raised.
JCI students at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, MA, contacted the Greater Boston Area Food Bank to see what needs they might be able to meet. They learned that the food bank supplies have been significantly depleted. They created a Hunger Shabbat which integrated awareness of local hunger issues into a food drive. They also took the opportunity to share their JCI experiences with their congregation.
In California, JCI students at Los Angeles Hebrew High Schoolcoordinated anadvocacy and collection drive. They brought in four different organizations to the school to promote their organization and tell of ways students can get involved. That morning students also brought in donations to the organizations, such as new elementary school books and arts and crafts materials for children.
The JCI Students from the Midrasha High School of Rhode Island participated in J-Serve for the first time this year. J-Serve fell on Earth day, so they did a series of projects on the environment. They started with a text study on the Environment and then cleaned up a park area by a highway. The kids were really energized and collected 6 large trash bags of trash, and 2 for recyclables. After they finished picking up the trash, the students participated in a letter-writing campaign to their senators and representatives regarding global warming. The JCI students had prepared letters ahead of time, spoke to the participants about the issues, and left room for them to sign, provide their contact info, and write a personal note.
MetroWest (NJ) JCI teens met with senior citizens in Federation Housing three times, including on April 22 in connection with J-Serve 2007. During their visits the teens asked the seniors about their recollections about Israel: its founding, the early years, the wars, their travels there, etc; They also asked about their current lives and their personal histories. Each visit had a different theme and the final visit involved the youths' families meeting their adopted senior friends.
For more information on the Jewish Civics
Initiative and JCI Seminars, please contact Rachel
Meytin, Director of the Center for Jewish Service-Learning, at (301) 770-5070 ext. 201.
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