The quote I read the other day says: "The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world." Volunteering in Nepal during 4 months with Tevel B'tzedek was a great opportunity to see a special part of this world that is unknown or ignored by many. It was very meaningful experience that I feel proud of being part of it. It shaped in different ways my worldview, specially regarding how I understand the Jewish concept of "Tikun Olam" and how I perceive poverty and suffering now. If you have time, curiosity, energy and willingness to help you should try it.
Hi, Namaste.. I am working in TBT since last 2 years.. Working here in this organization is not just part of my profession.Now, I feel very proud for my contribution to the community and the country through my accounting works... Since, this job to me is very challenging and it demands lots of dynamism... Working here in TBT is helping me in growing me as a good professional as well as a good human.....
"I stumbled across Tevel b’Tzedek in 2008 and ended up volunteering
with them for 4 months, which ended up changing my life. 4 years
later, I have been back to volunteer with a group 2 more times, and
one extra time just for fun. I have been inspired to change my jobs
as a result of this experience, and still maintain social contacts
with Nepali friends I have met there. Nepal will always have a soft
spot in my heart."
Working with Tevel b'Tzedek has been an inspiring and meaningful part of my career in International Development. I have worked with Tevel b'Tzedek since it's early days and find it to be an extremely important organisation in the field. It is unique in it's curiosity and openness to learn from both volunteers and local community members. Today I work as an Internship coordinator at a new MA program at the Hebrew University called Glocal Community Development. The need for such a program was identified by Tevel b'Tzedek that suggested the idea to the Hebrew university. Today Tevel b'Tzedek is an important part of our partner organizations offering high quality internships in the field.
My experience volunteering with TBT was an all around amazing experience. I feel like my involvement really helped boost the community and the villagers motivation to grow and thrive. The TBT Nepali staff helped us link with the villagers. The link then became unnecessary as our friendships with the villagers grew. Not only did we help the Nepalis but they taught us many things about their simple way of life.
Hi everyone and Namaste! my name is Nitzan, Im fom Israel and I volunteered with Tevel B'tzedke for 4 months in 2011. I came to volunteer after finishing my B.A and was looking for something meaningful to do. By participating in TBT program I learned so much about nepal- its culture, its people and even its languge, I met so many intersting people and went to places i will never forget...I also learnd alot about myself and got a chance to create, think, breath.
Nepal is one of the most butiful places to visit but also one of the poorest, working with youth, farmers, and in schools made me realise alot about the way im leaving my life.
I spent 4 months volunteering with TBT in Kathmandu in 2007 and went on to continue with TBT in a professional capacity. My time volunteering with TBT was completely life changing as my eyes were opened for the first time to issues such as globalisation and the affects of poverty. As a Westerner, the experience of encountering the East was as much as a life-shock as it was a life-shift. My peers and I went through a massive rite of passage as we became agents for change. I don't know of another organisation that has had such a lasting impact on its participants. My passion for development issues was birthed because of TBT. Today I live in South Africa where I have just completed a MA in international development- a direction I would not have pursued if it had not been for my time with TBT in Nepal and Jerusalem. It is an absolute honor and privilege to be part of the TBT community. It is an organisation that operates with tremendous integrity and is led by the desire for a better and just world.
I am a board member and the director of the Schusterman Foundation - Israel which is a long-time supporter of TBT. I have worked with many organizations but few approach the level of depth and professionalism that I see at TBT. While I have not been a participant in their program (unfortunately for me), I have had the opportunity to hear from many who have been. The feedback is all extremely positive. I have a very close relationship with the founder and director of TBT - Rabbi Micha Oddenheimer. His engagement of the board on a regular basis is both genuine and deep. Our foundation continues to deepen its involvement with TBT due to their exceptional and in many ways groung-breaking work.
The time in Nepal was amazing and taught me alot! so many good people and such an important thing to do. Thank you!
TBT is a wonderful organization. My time in Nepal opened my eyes to the world in a way I had never imagined- to global poverty, environmental issues, economics, Nepali culture and Jewish social justice. My experience there also empowered me to become more active in social change back at home. Our work with children and teachers in a rural village was thoughtful, sustainable and made a positive change in the community we were working with. A life changing experience.
I spent four intense months in nepal with TBT, and I it was a privilege to take part in the organization volunteering program. As a secular israeli guy, it was a rare oppurtunity for me to work and act with marginalized groups in an unfimiliar, country and to experience all that from a jewish point of view. Dr. micha odenheimer - the founder and ceo - left a significant impression on me, and I believe that he will continue to lead TBT wisely, expand it's activities and manage to reach many more places and people around the world.
Although volunteering for only a short amount of time it was a very meaningful experience for me. It was amazing seeing and living the life in the village and getting to know their culture. I was also happy for having the opportunity to give some knowledge and some of our own culture. I hope one day to take part again in one way or another in this organization.
volunteering with TBT helped guide me towards the right career path. It was one of the most, if not THE most life changing experiences in which i have ever experienced. Not a single day goes by without at least one thought/memory of my time there.
My time volunteering with Tevel B'Tzedek for four months in 2010 has profoundly affected the way I perceive the world and the importance of global and interpersonal justice. This organization brings American and Israeli Jews together to work with vulnerable communities in impressively creative ways. I will never forget the people I met during this experience -- Israeli, American, and Nepali alike! -- and I will always carry the sheer beauty of Nepal in my heart. I am so grateful for my experience!
I loved the four months I spent with Tevel B'Tzedek. It was a meaningful experience with other American Jews and Israelis that led to great self-discovery and important conversations.
I spent four months with Tevel b'Tzedek in 2011. But how do you even begin to explain what a transformative experience just four months can be in a short online review? I'm going to focus on one thing, but please note that, in reality, my praise could go on for pages. I think one feature that sets TBT apart is it provides a framework that allows volunteers to make what they want of their experience. When people ask me what Tevel b'Tzedek does, I have a difficult time answering because every participant comes away with a unique experienced based on where he volunteered, when he volunteered, and what activities he chose to participate in or initiate. By providing volunteers the necessary support - such as language instruction and local guidance, in addition to basic requirements like food and lodging - TBT enables its volunteers to unleash their inner creativity and work both to make a difference in Nepal and take something from the experience back home with them. I'm so happy to have participated!
Tevel B'Tzedek continues to positively surprise me. From the very first cohort of Israeli volunteers in Katmandu Nepal, 2007, they hit the ground running making a difference in the lives of impoverished rural communities and urban slum dwellers. They continue to develop new models for volunteering among the poorest of the poor: models that empower local youth and adults alike to be drivers of sustainable development. Graduates of the 4 month program, at their own initiative, went to see how they could help in Haiti after the earthquake. They set up a school in the camp- a youth movement- and communal activities. They organized a delegation of trauma and rehabilitation specialists to come and work with the wounded. They have a model farm that is producing abundant produce. Even the president of Haiti came to plant with them. The graduates continue to drive the organization forward and are cracking the code of how to do serious sustainable development work while integrating short term volunteers with local staff. This organization is vital, dynamic, and taps the wisdom and inspiration of the young to truly create a better world.
I have served on the board since Tevel B’Tzedek began. I leave every board meeting inspired by their initiative, impact and progress. It is definitely my all time favorite non profit to volunteer for and contribute to. Tamara Gottstein. The Rochlin Foundation