I have to do a certain number of hours of service for the year for my school. What should I do?

The best way is to volunteer all of your hours with as few organizations as possible. Research shows that working long-term with one organization and/or cause (as opposed to working 2 hours with 15 different orgs.) is most beneficial to those you are helping and much more meaningful to you.

The first thing to do is focus on you own personal interests. Whether it is writing poetry, sports, art, talking, hiking, cooking, animals, etc, there is a service that can be done with your passions. If you have trouble coming up with an idea or finding place in our database to use your interests for service please contact Pam Ganz at 323-761-8611 or pganz@bjela.org and she will be more than happy to assist you.

Another option is to create your own service project. Once again Pam is here to help you with any questions and/or assistance you may need.

But I want to see what all the different opportunities are and not limit myself to be stuck working for just one place.

This is true. First of all, consider that by working for one cause (say homelessness) you may still work with multiple organizations. Also, consider the example of visiting an elderly person at an assisted living facility. If you merely visit one time, the effect is not as great as visiting multiple times and forming a relationship. The suggestion we have is to utilize our database to see what is out there and make phone calls to find out everything about the organization. You may even want to visit a bunch one afternoon. But when it comes to volunteering, stick with one, two or three places/causes.

How do I know that the service opportunity provided will be a quality experience?

All the organizers listed in our database have pledged to do three things. They will not proselytize or require any religious activity. They will offer volunteer opportunities on days other than Saturday (although some have Saturday included as one of many days you could volunteer). And lastly they have assured us that each organization has a working professional in charge of supervising and organizing volunteers, assuring a quality experience.

I found a great organization to volunteer for but I don’t fit the age, time, and/or commitment requirements. Is there anything I can do?

Yes. You should contact the organization and let them know that you respect and understand their age requirement but would still like to volunteer your time for them, even if that means from your home. You can be very creative but ask them if there is any kind of work or services that they may need done that you could perhaps do from your home. If that doesn’t work out, then it may also be beneficial to ask them of other ways they know of to volunteer your time to help their cause rather than their organization specifically. All this information is provided in Sulam’s How To Create Your Own Service Learning Experience. Finally, if all else fails, contact Pam Ganz at 323-761-8611 or pganz@bjela.org and she can help you come up with something to ensure you are doing service work most meaningful to you.

Are these all the places that I could possibly volunteer with?

No. After much work and research, this is the list of different types of organizations in different geographic locations that we have compiled to this point. Sulam is also looking to build our database and we are always interested in adding new places to volunteer, provided they adhere to our three guidelines. Please email Pam Ganz, pganz@bjela.org, with suggestions for an organization to be added.

What happens when the organization I want to volunteer with only wants me to do paper work?

You should seriously consider doing it. Although we all may want to do the fun or “meaningful” activities (such as playing with children or talking with people), often the work an organization definitely needs the most help with is office work, warehouse labor, or the like. Remember, service to others is about helping with what they need.

I cannot find a category that fits my interests, what should I do?

Just because one of the categories does not fit your interest does not mean there is not an opportunity for you. Try to be creative. For instance, if you love cars, try selecting the “sports/recreation” option. If you like singing and there is nothing in “Arts and Culture,” try “elder care” and see if any senior facility would like you to perform for their residents. If you still are unsuccessful, please contact Pam Ganz (323-761-8611 or pganz@bjela.org) and she will help you to find an experience.

I really need to find a place to bring a group to volunteer but I cannot find any place in my area that will take groups. What can I do?

First off contact Pam Ganz(323-761-8611 and pganz@bjela.org) and she will assist you. It sometimes is difficult to plan group programs because of the specifics, requirements, and liabilities but there are ways to ultimately support an organization and/or cause off site. Once again contact Pam Ganz to brainstorm different creative ways to make a group program work. Additionally, Pam is in continuous contact with the volunteer coordinators and it may be helpful to involve her if you are having trouble.

What can I do for my bar or bat mitzvah project?

You should think of your bar-mitzvah project like you would a school requirement. Think about all the different things that you like to do and use Sulam to connect your passions with meaningful service learning opportunities. The great thing about bar and bat mitzvah projects is that you can often use your Torah portion or Haftorah as the inspiration for your service activity. You should look at the different values and lessons from your portion and find the appropriate service category and opportunity. By doing this you will already be studying and reflecting on your Jewish learning.

Why is there an essay requirement for the highest level of Sherut L’Am?

Service learning is the combination of service to others, new learning and personal reflection. Without the act of personal (or group) reflection, one is not able to make the connection from the work done in service and the piece of learning that is picked up along the way. Thus, reflection is critical to the success of service learning programs. Through Sherut L’Am we require the essay for the highest level of recognition for service learning to reflect just that- the highest level of service learning.

Why is the highest level of service only 60 hours for Sherut L’Am?

Research shows that in order for a person to be effected long-term by a service learning experience he/she must participate for a minimum of 20 hours. Additionally, once one reaches the level of 60 hours of a service learning experience the effect has reached it’s maximum. In other words, the personal effect you get from 60 hours of service, learning and reflection is the same as 120 hours, while 10 hours has no lasting effect.

How can I check out or download curriculum or resource materials?

Only educators have access to our curriculum, while everyone has access to our resource library of books, articles, videos, etc. All materials can be checked out from the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles directly out site the office of SuLam at 6505 Whilshire Blvd., 300. Eventually all curriculum and relevant articles will be available for download as PDF files, but as for now there are only a few.

The same rules as the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles apply to checking a book out of SuLam’s collection.

Why do educators have to log in to the web-site?

We ask educators to log in so that all the curricula materials share with us stay private and only accessed by teachers and informal educators. Additionally, we like to know our audience and have the ability to send out email reminders and updates to the educators.