Building Community in Detroit

For me, a huge part of my identity stems from this idea of community building through creating relationships. I have chosen to give my time to service in Detroit through a Jewish lens, with Repair the World. I first got involved with Repair the World after college because I was looking for a non-profit organization that spoke to my passion around social change.

Living in Detroit for the past two years, I have seen changes happening right before my eyes in every way. It is important for people to see those changes and to learn from them. To me, volunteering and service are a crucial part of the evolution happening in Detroit because they are an important piece of the “social change” puzzle. The work we do as fellows is an integral part of building community here.

Our Jewish community has a unique, diverse make-up. Jewish people play a part in altruism in anything from community based work, to the philanthropic side.

Repair The World strives to make volunteerism a meaningful part of Jewish life based on the Jewish value of tikkun olam. No matter what role a person plays in serving the community, it is important to understand who, what, when, where, how, and why the service is being done.

Rachel Fine is a former Repair the World Detroit fellow.