Jewish Service and Learning as a “Buffer Against Hopelessness”
In the summer of 2024, Alexandra (she/her) was new to Denver and far from home. She learned about Repair the World through the Hillel on her campus and joined Repair’s Service Corps in the hopes of meeting people, contributing to her new community, and gaining a better understanding of the city. What she found through Jewish service was something much deeper and life-changing.
Alexandra (red shirt) pack pallets of food with Repair the World Colorado.
Alexandra was placed with Repair’s service partner, Showers for All, an organization that provides free showers and hygiene products to people experiencing housing insecurity. Alexandra supported hygiene kit packing and distribution efforts, but what made the experience especially meaningful was Repair’s integration of service and Jewish learning, which turned volunteering into a space for context, connection, and reflection.
Each week in her Service Corps cohort, Alexandra and her peers engaged in Jewish learning and discussion on how ancient texts and contemporary community needs intersect. “I really like learning,” Alexandra shared. “In my cohort, we all read the same book about the Torah and the creative process. For each session, we’d read a portion, discuss the book as a group, and share how our placements at different organizations were going.” That integration of learning and doing helped her connect service more deeply to her Jewish identity.
“I feel like volunteering informs my Judaism, and my Judaism informs my volunteering.”
After the summer cohort ended, Alexandra continued volunteering weekly with Showers for All, and in the spring of 2025, Alexandra returned to Repair for a second Service Corps cohort, this time serving with Jewish Family Services, where she contributed to volunteer engagement and outreach efforts. Repair’s model of service stood out to Alexandra for its emphasis on partnership and humility:
“I especially like that Repair places you with already existing organizations so you’re not going in and saying, ‘this is what we need to do.’ You’re being sent in to help the people who already know what to do.”
Across both cohorts, service became a way for Alexandra to navigate uncertainty and navigate life in a new city. “We all feel hopeless sometimes,” she reflected. “It’s about micro level actions. One person doesn’t have the power to solve a systematic problem all on their own, it’s tons of different people together that do that. Service is kind of a buffer against hopelessness, it reminds you that there is something you can do to make the world a better place.”
Alexandra (left) serving at an after-school program in Israel.
After contributing more than 140 hours through Repair’s Service Corps, Alexandra chose to continue her Jewish service journey abroad through the nine month Yahel Social Change Fellowship in Israel. Now based in Ramat Eliyahu, North of Tel Aviv, Alexandra volunteers four days a week across schools, senior centers, after-school programs, and community spaces. Her work ranges from teaching English to leading a weekly library and arts program in a local park.
Living and volunteering alongside other fellows has expanded Alexandra’s understanding of Jewish community and belonging. “Being in Israel and volunteering here has helped me understand Israeli culture more,” she reflected. “I’ve really gotten into hosting Shabbat dinners with friends and that’s something I want to continue doing when I get back to the United States. This experience has allowed me more freedom to try new things and figure out what being Jewish looks like for me,” Alexandra shared.
For Alexandra, Jewish service has become more than volunteerism — it is a hands-on way to live out her Jewish values, build meaningful community, and remember that even small acts of service can be a powerful buffer against hopelessness.
