On Activism--Part #2--Volunteerism and Activism

The 60s were marked not only by the obvious public activism that was seen, but also by an uptick in volunteerism. Volunteerism is itself a type of activism. A problem is identified and someone works on behalf of solving that problem. A group at risk is identified, and volunteers help with that group. A need is identified and volunteers seek to help with that need.

Volunteerism was the answer to President Kennedy's exhortation to "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Two volunteer groups that were very activist inclined in the 60s were the Peace Corps and the Teacher Corp of America. College students and others who volunteered for the Peace Corps were actively trying to change the lives of others, to make those lives better. Some went to build bridges, and schools and hospitals. Others went to teach modern methods of raising food. Still others went to teach those who had no access to education. They literally went to the four corners of the world. Many were idealists. Some were pragmatists of the "teach someone how to fish and they will eat for a lifetime" school. Those in the Teacher Corp were asked to spend a year after college graduation teaching in inner city schools, in teaching those who were disadvantaged so they could move up and onward. These volunteers came from all types of colleges and universities, including the Ivies. These volunteers believed that education was the key to success in life, and they actively involved themselves in giving this education to anyone who needed it.

Some parts of Klal got onto the volunteerism bandwagon before the 60s, but certainly not as many as became active during and after the 60's. When we moved to New York in the mid-60's we lived in Far Rockaway. It was a thriving community then, if far different than the Far Rockaway of today. And there wasn't a Bikur Cholim in existence then. I know because my mom and two other women were the ones who began the Bikur Cholim. There was no Hatzolah, there was no Tomchei Shabbos anywhere. And there were no required Chesed hours every term as there are now in many yeshivas.

Some of the problems that Klal has could be solved or partially solved if activism would take the form of volunteerism. Klal is a lot bigger now than it was in the 60's. There is surely a larger pool of people to draw from as volunteers for the myriad organizations and institutions of Klal. But volunteerism, as a percentage of the frum population, has not gone up in number when compared to the past. Yes, more of the women who were counted on for this volunteerism are now in the work force and have less time available. Yes, modern life has gotten complex and complicated. But it's not an excuse. If, in the past, one woman was available for 4 hours a week as a volunteer in her children's school, then surely we can manage four women volunteering one hour each today? And gentlemen, you aren't exempt. You, too, should be out there volunteering.

When our shul had a problem with its computer system a while back they didn't call in an expensive company to take care of the problem. They called upon my husband and a couple of other computer specialists, who volunteered the advice and hours needed. My brother in law, a"h, was a senior partner in one of the top 5 law firms in the country. He headed a department in the firm. He certainly had more than enough on his plate. And he volunteered his services for nothing to yeshivas and organizations in Brooklyn and in the Far Rockaway/Five Towns area. He served as Chairman of the Board for one of these yeshivas, and as a board member for others. Yes, he was able to do so and gave the yeshivas money as well. But he volunteered his time, because that is what he felt we all ought to be doing. He was an activist on behalf of Klal.

Someone on another blog mentioned in a comment that the school his child attends charges $10 per child when a lice check has to be done. Let me repeat my comment to him. Back when my kids were in school we didn't hire anyone to come in and do those lice checks. One of our local sheitle machers was quite experienced in how to check for lice and she trained a few of us on how to do the checks. She and we went in and did the checks as needed. Yes, it was kind of disconcerting to be greeted by some students when I walked in with "Oh look, the lice lady is here," but we were active on behalf of our children and the school, and we volunteered.

And while I'm talking of activism and volunteerism, let me pay tribute to those who put their time and effort into bringing to Klal many of the institutions and services that we consider to be a firm part of who and what we are. Thank you to those who brought us Ohel, and P'tach, and Hatzalah, and Camp Simcha, and an expanded Bikur Cholim, and the myriad social service programs in existence. Thank you for being part of the solution, not part of the problem. Thank you for your activism and volunteerism on our behalf.

I'd also like to mention a group that some of you may never have heard of, but we all owe some thanks to. That group is COLPA--the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs.

Jews today mostly live in happy ignorance of what their position was like many decades ago in American society. They apply for jobs today fully expecting that they can get any job they apply for. They take for granted that they will have no trouble in having access to kosher meat. They know that the legal protections needed for their various endeavors and various communal structures such as mikvaot, eruvs, shuls and yeshivas is there. It wasn't always this way. It took some doing to get us to this point.

COLPA has played a key role in activism on behalf of the Jewish community. Instead of organizing protests in the streets, this organization organized people to become active on behalf of Klal using the law. Founded in 1965--yup, a Boomer institution. Why COLPA? In its own words: "Judaism, with its rich tradition of laws and customs, often finds itself at odds with the norms of contemporary society. From the seemingly mundane, such as dietary restrictions and the wearing of a "yarmulka," to the clearly profound, such as definitions of life and death, these differences can frequently cause conflict. COLPA has been committed to addressing and resolving these conflicts through mediation, negotiation, and, when required, litigation, as well as through legislative initiatives. From its modest beginnings, COLPA has grown into an influential body of hundreds of attorneys, social scientists, academicians and others who share a commitment to resolving these problems within the context of the law." And I would add that this is a volunteer committment for these people.

http://www.jlaw.com/LawPolicy/colpa.html%22%3Ehttp://www.jlaw.com/LawPolicy/colpa.html

Like the activism it is a part of, volunteerism should not be relegated to something that "they" do; it's something we all can and should do. Every little bit truly does count.