Rabbi Benji Levy, CEO of Mosaic United, a partnership between the State of Israel and the global Jewish community, recently met with leaders at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto to formalize the Jewish community’s commitment of $1 million to the “Shalom Corps” Jewish service initiative.
Shalom Corps aims to dramatically increase the number of young Jews around the world engaging in meaningful, ethical and sustainable service experiences that also provide opportunities for the exploration of Jewish identity.
Toronto became the first pilot city for Shalom Corps.
UJA Federation will work with Mosaic United, Jewish Agency and other partners to develop and encourage Jewish volunteerism, community activism and service experiences.
“We are thrilled that Toronto’s Jewish community has joined Shalom Corps, our Mosaic United Campus Pillar, and set such a wonderful example for other communities to follow,” said Levy. “The modern Jew is not just the member of a single organization, but a network in and of themselves with the profound ability to volunteer and be active for their own communities and the broader collective.”
He continued, “With the partnership of strong Jewish communities like Toronto, we will create a movement that heals the fractured world around us, exposing young Jews to the numerous volunteering opportunities, and encouraging them to contribute more in their own communities and beyond.”
In the coming months, Toronto will pilot initiatives focused on local volunteering and offer similar opportunities away from home for young adults, laying the groundwork for the broader participation of its millennial population in Jewish service experiences.
“We are delighted to join the initiative and be the pioneering community that guides the values and tools of this program in young Toronto,” said UJA Federation of Greater Toronto president and CEO Adam Minksy. “We call on other communities around the world to join Mosaic United and the Jewish Agency’s important project and to work to connect young Jews to Israel and to Judaism.”
