Frequently Asked Questions

The domestic yearlong program begins when you return from your international volunteer service and provides a means for you to reflect on and process your experiences from the summer, build upon them, and take action in response to them.

The yearlong program is an opportunity for you to further your commitment to service through a Jewish lens, and integrate your summer experience into your daily life. The responsibilities for returned participants include recruitment, public presentations, community service, advocacy and an ongoing commitment to skill building, leadership development and Jewish learning.

Three times during the course of the year, we gather (typically in New York, D.C. and L.A.) for educational reunions in which friendships deepen and conversations continue through critical reflection. Skill building workshops focus on advocacy, education and community organizing. Participants are expected to attend all three retreats. We encourage participants to see themselves as global citizens and understand that those studying or working abroad may not be able to attend all three retreats.

Kashrut - In the villages we work closely with a local chef in preparing all of our own food which is vegetarian and kosher (although not hechshered). We also buy new pots, plates and utensils and use them for all group meals. The main challenge for keeping kosher occurs when we eat in restaurants during the weekend excursions.

We suggest that strictly kosher participants bring some food with them from the U.S. to cover weekend travel (tuna, granola bars, dehydrated soups, etc.) Alternatively, the group can prepare food on Friday for the weekend. More information on kashrut, written by past participants, is available. Please let us know if you would like to review this information, and we will e-mail it to you. Participants who observe kashrut are encouraged to plan with AJWS staff what types of food they should bring.

Shabbat – We do not plan any activities during Shabbat that would violate the practices of any of our students. For example, when we travel on weekends we do not drive anywhere between sundown Friday and one hour after sundown on Saturday. Similarly, we do not do any work during this time.

There may be an option of hiking, touring or going into town on Shabbat, which students may choose to participate in, however there will always be an option of staying back at the base.

Volunteer Summer participants are Jewish young adults between the ages of 16 and 24.

There are three groups exclusively for college-age adults and recent college graduates, ages 18 to 24 years old. If you are currently a high school graduate and are between 18 and 24 years old (you need not be enrolled in college) you are eligible for the college-age group.

There will also be one discrete group of volunteers comprised of current high school juniors and seniors, ages 16 to 18 years old.

Living conditions are very modest and rustic, yet adequate. It is important that you know from the outset that this program is physically challenging. Most likely, there will be little or no running water and/or electricity. You will, however, be able to wash (by bucket baths) and keep relatively clean. You will likely sleep on a thin foam mattress (which lies on the floor). Shelter will be provided by simple housing structures made of wood, cement, tin roofing, mud or any combination of those materials. There will be bugs and dirt. You will go to the bathroom in latrines. The experience is similar to backcountry camping, except there is also a lot of physical labor to do each weekday.

In the developing world roosters and sunlight wake us up at 6 a.m. We have a hearty breakfast, work from 7 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., and have lunch. After lunch, we have a discussion that links our field experience to a text study or essay from the Volunteer Summer handbook. We go back to work from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Then we wash, rest and have dinner. Dinner is followed by an evening activity, music or free time. The type of work depends upon the specific day, country and project. Generally, work falls into one of these categories: digging, lifting, mixing, filling, banging, building, etc.

We eat lots of beans, rice, fresh fruits and vegetables. We keep a kosher, vegetarian kitchen. We work with local cooks who are assisted by two Volunteer Summer participants in preparing lunches and dinners. All the food we prepare as a group is vegetarian and each participant will have more than enough healthy, nutritious food to eat. You will have the opportunity to notify us of any allergies or other dietary restrictions on your medical form.

Weekends are an opportunity for the group to travel to places of extraordinary natural beauty and/or cultural significance, to see the sites, rest and play. We also spend at least one Shabbat with the host community and seek out the local Jewish community when possible. We do not plan any activities during Shabbat that would violate the practices of any of our students.

The AJWS office is in regular contact with the group through satellite phones and your family can contact you at any time through AJWS. Direct contact with participants is very limited, since we will be living in rural communities with little access to electricity and telephones. Participants may be able to call or e-mail home some weekends during travel to tourist areas or cities.

Pluralistic Jewish learning is an important part of the Volunteer Summer experience. During the course of the program, many educational sessions and informal discussions will take place which relate to being Jewish. At least one of the two group leaders will have extensive training in Jewish study and education.

We make every effort and pride ourselves on being a program that appeals and caters to people who embody many different beliefs and practices. From the disenfranchised, searching, unaffiliated Jew, to the Orthodox, kashrut observant, shomer Shabbat Jew, we respect each participant.

No. We expect that each participant will be present for every part of the program.

Yes. You will be able to coordinate your “post-Volunteer Summer” travel plans directly with the Volunteer Summer travel agent.

You will receive the Volunteer Summer packing list (along with tons of other info) once you are accepted.

We do our best to make the trip a very safe and healthful one. The overwhelming majority of our participants do not get sick in any serious way. Most people experience some type of mild health problem during their stay in the developing world – diarrhea, dehydration, stomach cramps, or constipation. These are typical problems and will be treated properly. AJWS Volunteer Summer group leaders have direct access to high-quality health care in each of the destinations that we send participants to, and the Volunteer Summer staff is trained to deal with emergencies. Once accepted into the program, you must visit a doctor or travel clinic. Prevention and a commitment to taking care of yourself are the best ways to stay healthy.

Volunteer Summer participants have direct access to the finest health care in the countries we visit through AJWS’ membership with International SOS Assistance, a well-respected medical referral and assistance organization. In case of illness, SOS will refer us to the closest and best medical facility in the area and will monitor the case. If your medical condition is beyond the capabilities of in-country facilities, SOS will evacuate you by air to the nearest medical facility.

Although we would like to, Volunteer Summer cannot admit everyone who applies to the program because we receive many more applications than there are available spaces. In general we look for applicants with a demonstrated interest in and commitment to the themes of Volunteer Summer – social justice, international development and Judaism. You do not need previous international, construction or camping experience.

Yes. Applicants who are invited for an interview are encouraged to visit our New York City office. However, if you live outside of the New York metro area, the interview will be conducted over the phone (at AJWS’ expense). Interviews last approximately 30 minutes.

View the info session schedule and instructions on how to call in. Parents are invited to contact AJWS staff, but the informational sessions are for prospective participants only.

After taking part in the info session, AJWS staff will contact you regarding the next steps in the application process. Applicants invited for an interview are encouraged to visit our New York City office. However, if you live outside of the New York metro area, the interview can be conducted over the phone (at AJWS’ expense). Interviews last between 45 minutes and one hour.

Yes. Several past Volunteer Summer participants have received credit for participating in the program. In each case they discussed the experience with a professor or dean, and were asked to write a paper or do some other academic work that was inspired by their Volunteer Summer experience.

We suggest that you discuss obtaining credit through the appropriate avenues at your own college or university. We will help you in whatever way we can. AJWS Volunteer Summer staff is in the process of trying to document and systematize this process.

Volunteer Summer group leaders are amazing individuals between the ages of 27 and 35. They have a wide variety of skills and talents which enable them to handle the tremendous responsibilities of the Volunteer Summer experience. Past Volunteer Summer group leaders have been rabbis, healthcare workers, Outward Bound instructors, returned Peace Corps volunteers, international development professionals, Jewish educators, etc. All are responsible, highly trained, outdoorsy, fun, caring and intelligent.

The program cost includes all transportation, meals and accommodations associated with the summer experience and the domestic yearlong program. For a detailed list of what is covered, please visit Program Costs and Our Funders.

Yes. The entire Volunteer Summer program fee is tax-deductible since it is used to pay for expenses, such as airfare, room and board, incurred while performing a charitable service. Please inform the Volunteer Summer staff if you need a letter for tax purposes.

It depends on how much stuff you want to buy. We recommend bringing between $200 and $500 for gifts, snacks and other non-essential purchases.

Financial Aid is available to applicants in need of assistance. Applicants requesting financial aid will be required to fill out the Financial Aid Application, which is the last section of the Volunteer Summer application. Acceptance to the program is need blind.

There are a small number of scholarships from AJWS. We encourage participants to look to their local Jewish Federation, synagogue, Hillel or other potential donors for assistance in paying for the program. The Volunteer Summer staff will work with you to identify other potential sources of funding if necessary. We encourage you to take an active role in raising funds for the summer and are happy to share with you a list of creative fundraising ideas that have worked for past participants.

Download the AJWS Volunteer Summer fundraising ideas.

Sit down and talk with your parents about why you want to go. Give them all of the information that you have received from us, our Web site, and from past participants in the program. Tell them that hundreds of students have gone on this program since 1994 and have come back safely and transformed by the experience.

AJWS is a respected and well-known organization that sends more than 500 volunteers overseas each year. In each case, we research the country, host community and project thoroughly and provide all of the necessary information to the volunteer prior to departure. AJWS has worked in Ghana and Honduras, among many other developing countries for 20 years and understands the risks associated with group travel to these countries and how to minimize and respond to those risks.

You will only drink bottled water, you will have access to reliable and top-notch medical facilities, you will be able to get in touch with your family in case of emergency, you will wear bug spray and sun block at appropriate times and your parents will receive weekly updates on your trip. When the summer is over, your parents will tell all their friends that their son/daughter had the most amazing experience on Volunteer Summer.

If this doesn’t calm them, the AJWS Volunteer Summer staff has extensive experience talking with nervous parents. Feel free to have your parents call us at any time.

If you have any additional questions about AJWS Volunteer Summer, please e-mail or call Rachel Weinstein at 212.792.2919 or 800.889.7146, ext. 2919 (from outside of the U.S.).

You may also join an informational conference call to learn more about the program. View the informational session schedule and instructions on how to call in. Parents are invited to contact AJWS staff, but the informational sessions are for prospective participants only.