When Sylvia, 23, graduated from New York University in 2021 after studying child development, disability and performance, she emerged into a world recovering from the pandemic. The native Philadelphian had thought she would immediately attend grad school or look for a job working within the performing arts or with children. However, after spending over a year completing online classes, Sylvia felt she needed to reconnect with her passions and the reasons why she wanted to work in the creative arts and helping fields in the first place – and she wanted to do that in Israel.
“I had been to Israel many times before and always found my visits meaningful. In a world torn apart by illness, conflict and hate, it felt more right than ever to return to Israel for my post-college gap year,” explained Sylvia. “Project TEN seemed like the perfect fit as I could join a cohort of young leaders devoted to making our homes and communities a better place.”
Project TEN is The Jewish Agency’s service-learning program that promotes social resilience in developing communities around the globe and in Israel. Volunteers are young Jewish adults from all over the world who work alongside locals while engaging in a global dialogue on Jewish identity and values with their peers.
Beginning in fall 2021, Sylvia volunteered at the TEN center adjacent to Kibbutz Harduf in the lower Galilee for five months. The Kibbutz specializes in creating social and educational community projects that promote a Jewish-Arab partnership, empowering disadvantaged populations and equal opportunities.
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