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14 HASHALOM August
2016
August 2016
HASHALOM
15
The South African Zionist Federation and
especially its provincial arm the KwaZulu-
Natal Zionist Council has worked for many
years on projects that uplift our surrounding
communities. The Victor Daitz Foundation,
Jewish National Fund Ecological Education
Centre in Hammarsdale, and the Wellness
Centres in the Zulu Kingdom are examples that
educate the broader population about Israel
and the local Jewish community while assisting
disadvantaged groups.
When the Jewish Agency for Israel offered
to partner with the SAZF on a Project Ten
program in South Africa, Durban was the
preferred choice.
Project TEN, which currently has five active
volunteer centers in: Oaxaca- Mexico; Gondar-
Ethiopia; Winneba- Ghana; Kibbutz Harduf-
Israel and Arad- Israel, is an international
development program that operates volunteer
centers in developing areas.
The project brings together young Jewish
adults from all over the world. It combines
volunteer work with local communities and
service-learning in the fields of international
development, culture, identity, and Jewish
activism. Programs are geared towards
volunteers in the 20 - 35 age group for a
three month period. But there will also
be opportunities for local Jewish youth to
participate for shorter periods. Projects are in
three fields: informal education, public health,
and agriculture. This is done in collaboration
with local NGO’s in order to understand and
address each community’s respective needs.
The KNZC chairman Prof Antony Arkin
consulted with the communal organizations
to find the appropriate NGO partners, met
with them and obtained their willingness to
participate. While JAFI is funding two thirds of
the program, one third must be locally sourced.
We are extremely grateful to the Victor Daitz
Foundation and especially its managing trustee,
Mr. Brian Moshal for embracing the program.
Over the past few months, there have been a
number of conference calls with JAFI, including
one with its chairman Mr. Natan Sharansky, as
well as visits to Durban by Mr. Nir Lahav from
Jerusalem and Mrs. Martine Fleishman from
New York, Mr. Ben Swartz, the chair of the
SAZF, Mrs. Nicci Raz the National Director and
Mr. Aviad Sela, head of the Israel Centre. They
have all put in an incredible amount of work to
get the project off the ground
Project Ten’s vision is to empower Jewish
young adults to create sustainable change for
vulnerable communities around the world,
while offering a meaningful platform for
young Jewish adults from Israel and around
the world, to encounter each other, explore
and encompass what it means to be a “Jewish
Activist.”
This program embodies the essence of
Tikkun
Olam
and we are tremendously excited and
proud to be a part of it.
COMMUNITY NEWS
By Michelle Shapira
Project TEN comes to Durban, thanks to the Victor Daitz foundation!