Abstract:
Short-term, immersive, Jewish service-learning (IJSL) programs have emerged as a key
communal strategy to encourage Jewish young adults to engage in service and see their
volunteer work as a Jewish act. Utilizing two years of multi-method research, this article opens the “black box” of IJSL pedagogy, suggesting that group cohesion, quality of
service work, interactions with community members, learning sessions, Jewish observance, and follow-up programming are critical to participant outcomes, including connections between Jewish identity and service and plans to engage in future volunteer work and to volunteer under Jewish auspices. The article also explores the limitations of current recruitment paradigms, which often result in gender-imbalanced groups with a history of strong Jewish engagement. It recommends that the IJSL fi eld engage in a process of external scanning for innovative ideas, foster a culture of experimentation and “demonstration projects,” and integrate feedback systems into planning and decision making.
