AJWS Alternative Breaks (ABs) offer one to three-week long service programs to college students in partnership with campus-based organizations, such as Hillel. Through AJWS ABs, students experience grassroots sustainable development and focus on the interrelationship of social justice, service and Judaism. Since its inception in 2000, over 750 students from 32 schools around the country have participated in an AJWS AB.
In collaboration with local grassroots non-governmental organizations (NGOs), students work on projects such as digging ditches for the laying of water lines, planting trees and crops, and building schools and community centers. Together, the group studies social justice and international development through a Jewish lens, and plans a meaningful Shabbat experience that allows participants to experience the challenges and rewards of pluralistic Jewish communities. This intensive service-learning experience lays the foundation for participants’ follow-up activities, from sharing their experiences of the developing world with others on their return home, to committing themselves to lives of advocacy and activism.
For more information about planning an AB please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
For application or additional information about bringing this program to your campus, please e-mail us or call Rachel Profeta at 212.792.2918 or 800.889.7146, ext. 2918.
The AJWS Alernative Breaks Program is generously supported by a grant from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
