Israel

Freiwilligendienst
In Zusammenarbeit mit unserer Partnerorganisation in Israel

Nach der Ankunft am Flughafen Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv nehmen Sie an einer Orientierungsveranstaltung unserer Partnerorganisation in Jerusalem teil. Sie wohnen im Abraham Hostel im Zentrum Jerusalems und nehmen u.a. an einer Stadtführung durch Jerusalem teil.

Wir stellen Ihnen einige Projekte vor, in denen Sie sich als Freiwilliger engagieren können. Bitte fragen Sie uns nach weiteren Projekten:

IL001 Desert Wildlife Reserve

Join this unique wildlife conservation program in the spectacular desert landscape of the Arava, Israel and help to re-populate the nature reserve with the species of animals mentioned in the Bible!
The Negev is a desert region that covers the southern half of Israel. The least populated area in Israel, it is a home to (among others) the nomadic desert people known as the Bedouin and unique African wildlife. The Negev offers some spectacular scenery and is home to captivating sites and places.
Located in the Arava valley, the mission of Wildlife Reserve is to establish reproduction groups for populations of wild animals that are mentioned in the Bible; but have disappeared from the landscape, as well as for other endangered desert animals. The reserve is dotted with Acacia trees and includes a variety of desert habitats: an Acacia forest, a salt marsh, and sand dunes. The reserve has three parts: a three-acre penned-in open area, where herds of herbivorous animals live in conditions similar to those in the wild; the Predators Centre, where reptiles, small desert animals, and large predators are on display; and the Desert Night Life Exhibition Hall, where night and day are reversed so that visitors to the reserve can observe nocturnal animals during their active hours.
Volunteers will join the Wildlife Reserve staff with its on-going conservation and animal care work.

Volunteers' tasks:
During the project, volunteers will become an integral part of the staff at the Wildlife Reserve. Duties include:
Preparing food and feeding animals
Cleaning and maintaining reserve facilities
Observations and data collection,
Accompanying & assisting park rangers
Constructing enrichment facilities
During the summer long-term volunteers may be asked to lead short- term workcamps of 10 volunteers at the preserve.
Its important to note that work tasks are likely to change and be unpredictable due to that dynamic nature of the reserve.

Suggested duration of program:
4 - 10 weeks.

IL002 Coral Reef Reserve

Located at the northern tip of the Red Sea in the south of Israel, Eilat also shares borders with Egypt and Jordan. The beaches, nightlife, arid climate and desert landscapes make Eilat a very a popular destination for domestic and international tourism. The Gulf of Eilat is also a major destination for divers and snorkelers.
Out of 11 kilometers of Eilat beach in Israeli territory, 1,200 meters have been declared a nature reserve.The Coral Beach Reserve was one of the first nature reserves to be declared in Israel. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve offers a spectacular combination of corals creating colorful underwater ‘gardens' with butterfly fish, parrot fish, Julie fish, nocturnal fish, and many other species, along with sea lilies, giant shells and much more. The heart of the reserve is a coral reef of some 1,200 meters long parallel to the beach. It is one of the most ‘densely populated' coral reefs in the world and the only one in Israel and you will have the opportunity to help preserve this endangered coral reef.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers will become an integral part of the staff that aims to protect the fragile Coral Reef Reserve from countless threats. Duties include: general maintenance, beach cleaning, beach & boat observations, explaining to visitors about the beach rules (swimming areas, keep the beach clean), water buoy maintenance, escorting park rangers, etc... Works tasks may change according to demand; therefore volunteer must be flexible to do unexpected tasks.
Volunteer hours are from 09:00 - 15:00, with one day off a week.

Suggested program duration:
1 - 10 weeks.

IL003 Desert Eco Building

The Negev is a desert region that covers the southern half of Israel. The least populated area in Israel, it is a home to (among others) the nomadic desert people known as the Bedouin and unique African wildlife. The Negev offers some spectacular scenery and is home to captivating sites and places.
Desert Days is a unique village resort built from mud and local materials. Located in the southern part of Israel near Tzukim, the resort is nestled in the Arava desert between the dry river Zofar cliffs on the west and Jordan's red mountains on the east. Desert Days was created by a young family to fulfill the principles of simplistic living and close contact to the earth. Guests are hosted from around the world to enjoy this stunning place and to learn about sustainable living.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers will mainly assist with the construction and maintenance of the eco village, according to the following schedule:
Sun to Wed - Eco Building: Working with earth is completely different to working with cement, acrylic plastering and such. Earth is a durable material that can be revived and endure a long sculpturing process. It's also a lot of fun getting dirty by working with your hands. The huts are constructed from straw bales and earth. This method has a number of advantages: the walls isolate heat and cold, the building materials are biodegradable and the final result looks quite beautiful. The building steps are: preparing foundations, building the construction and then plastering. The plastering is made of three layers: sculpturing layer, clay layer and a final external plastering layer. Volunteers and staff will use earth found in the surrounding area.
Thu - Maintenance: Cleaning, gardening, cooking and preparing huts for eco-tourist guests
Fri - Sat: Free time

Suggested duration of program:
2 - 10 weeks.

IL004 Jerusalem Ecotourism Internship

Jerusalem is not only a historic and holy city for 3 major world religions, but also a dynamic and diverse modern city with an international vibe and continental lifestyle. This project is located in the center of it all, in downtown, central Jerusalem. This area is home to countless shops, cafes, food and art markets, and the historic and religiously significant Old City.
The Abraham Jerusalem hostel is a new travel-center located in the center of Jerusalem; the hostel is dedicated to the promotion and execution of ecological travel, and a fun and dynamic hostel environment. Goals of the hostel include recycling and waste management initiatives, organic gardening and compost, interaction with the communities that directly surround it including Me'a Shearim (an ultra-Orthodox Jewish section of Jerusalem) and East Jersualem and increased tourism and use of the Jerusalem trail. Volunteers are needed to help with these initiatives and to think of their own, as they will become an integral part of the hostel staff.

Volunteers tasks:
Volunteers will be involved in several important tasks. Some of these include "chaperoning" groups of tourists to and from the daily walking tour offered by the hostel, leading informal hikes and walks along the Jerusalem trail, helping to plan and promote social initiatives within the hostel facilities (including but not limited to, pub nights, lectures, yoga or meditation groups etc.), and urgently implementing a recycling and organic waste/ compost project at the hostel. Volunteers may also be needed to help in the hostel kitchen to serve tourists. Plans for the hostel include volunteer participation in renovating an organic rooftop garden. We urge volunteers to come with an open mind and their own initiative.
No matter what the volunteer's skills and talents, there is also a lot of room for their own ideas and interests that can benefit the Abraham Jerusalem Hostel. Projects can include but are not limited to:
Website translation
Eco-tourism development
Brochure writing
Event planning
Teaching courses
Guiding tours
Volunteers are expected to work 5-6 hours per day, 5 days per week during their time volunteering

Suggested duration of program:
6 - 11 weeks

IL005 Mountain Eco Lodge

Nimrod is a small Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon. It is a cooperative agricultural community and the highest Jewish settlement in Israel at 1,110 meters (3,642 ft) above sea level. Nimrod is located approximately 4 hours north of Tel Aviv.
Situated on one of the highest peaks in Israel, the Nimrod Mountain Eco Lodge is an impressive center for eco-tourism and experimental bio-farming. The Lodge sets an example of modern sustainable living on the rugged Golan Heights using down to earth techniques such as grey water systems, construction from recycled materials, natural insulation and bio-farming. The Lodge is in the process of creating a living and working eco community for people with special needs.
Volunteers will be involved with the daily tasks of running the lodge and bio-farm.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers will address and overcome the challenges involved with running and developing the Mountain Eco Lodge. Volunteer tasks will include some of the following:
Physical work: Ecologically minded building, daily maintenance of the Eco Lodge, cleaning, cooking, bio farming and picking crops (spring - autumn).
Office work: Answering phones and emails, hosting guests from around the world, website translations and writing texts for promotion.
Participants are invited and encouraged to bring their own special skills to the project. There is plenty of room for innovation, so whether the volunteers' specialty is a trade skill, web design, yoga, painting, botany, or virtually anything else, there is room at the eco lodge for them to add their own personal touch to the program. Volunteers are expected to work 30 - 35 hours, 5 days a week.

Suggested duration of program:
2 - 10 weeks.

IL006 Tel Aviv Womens Shelter

Tel Aviv-Yaffo is a small, but vibrant city located along the beautiful, blue-green Mediterranean Sea, on the Western coast of Israel. With its bustling atmosphere, its famous 24 hour lifestyle, as well as its many research and development centers, it is the financial, corporate, and commercial capital of Israel. Tel Aviv is home to numerous museums and art galleries, as well as lively markets and endless shopping.
The project is located just north of Jaffa in South Tel Aviv, where the culture is diverse and colorful, and "nightlife" exists all day and night. Volunteers will be living just a 5 minute walk from the stunning beaches of the Mediterranean. Tel Aviv is a popular tourist destination and named one of the Top 10 Beach Cities in the World by National Geographic. It was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Bauhaus architecture. While Tel Aviv boasts fantastic tourist activities, breathtaking beaches, and upscale shopping in some areas, other parts of the city are plagued by drugs and prostitution, and in great need of volunteer help.
The project will take place near the old Central Bus Station of Tel Aviv, in an area called Neveh Shanan, which is considered to be Tel Aviv's Red Light district. This area is one of the poorest and most troubled areas in the city limits, and is littered with prostitution, drug use, and abuse. The women surviving in this area represent a population with a strong and persisting fear. Most of these women are heavily addicted to drugs, resort to prostitution as a way to pay for their habit, and have suffered through abuse, rape, and severe exhaustion from this seemingly inescapable lifestyle. While the shelter is located in a basement facility similar to a bunker or bomb shelter, and is grimy and dirty compared to our standards, it is the life-force that gives these women something to look forward to day after day.
The women's shelter offers these women a number of services. Most importantly, it offers a safe place to rest. The fear of robbery or rape while sleeping on the streets has caused most of these women to resort to insomnia. The first step of the shelter is to offer a safe space where the women can catch up on sleep, hoping that this may open doors towards future rehabilitation.
The second thing the shelter offers is the possibility of a change of clothes. In providing showers and clean clothing, the shelter gives these women a small element of pride in who they are, and what they may be able to achieve.
The third part and perhaps the part most geared towards rehabilitation, is the cafeteria. Most of these street women, if given the choice between satisfying hunger or satisfying their drug addiction, would choose the latter. The shelter's hope is that in providing a small bite to eat, or a hot cup of coffee, it will also create a forum to promote interaction in a safe environment. Once we connect to their basic needs, we can open a discussion towards counseling and eventually friendship and trust. Because there are absolutely no drugs allowed in the shelter, this is a place where these women can feel clean and safe, but it can hold the danger of withdrawal.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers are greatly needed to help with the general upkeep of the shelter. Volunteers must understand that they may be working in physically and mentally difficult situations, and must have a strong will to help these women find safety and security. Volunteers may be asked to assist with the following responsibilities:
Cleaning
Maintenance
Cooking and Kitchen Duties
Laundry
General Upkeep
Volunteers may also be asked to help with other harrowing tasks associated with the shelter such as keeping an eye on the women while they sleep, or making sure no one takes drugs while inside. We ask volunteers to come with an open mind and an open heart, because the work we do is irreplaceable in the lives of these women. In providing clean clothes and a bite to eat, we are offering these women much more than shelter.
Volunteers will work Monday - Thursday from around 10:00 - 15:00, and are provided with lunch at the shelter.

Suggested duration of program:
1 - 10 weeks.

IL007 Kibbutz Lotan Program

Kibbutz Lotan is a young community situated in the Arava Desert in the south of Israel, 55km north of Eilat, far away from urban Israel in a quiet area in beautiful desert surroundings. Lotan was established in 1983 by graduates of the Reform Jewish youth movements from Israel and overseas. They came together to create a community based on a modern liberal approach to Judaism that strives to fulfill values of equality between the sexes, equality in work, and genuine communication between people. Lotan's population is equally divided between native-born Israelis and immigrants from all over the world. Kibbutz Lotan maintains a co-operative lifestyle in which means of production and resources are shared. In 2006 Kibbutz Lotan received the Global Ecovillage Network's award for Ecovillage Excellence in recognition of its work in promoting practical ecology.
The eco-volunteering program on Kibbutz Lotan is a complete and practical introduction to both ecology and cooperative living. As a participant on the program you will be interwoven into the daily life of the kibbutz and volunteer for the Center for Creative Ecology (CCE).
The CCE is a unique ecological center that combines hands-on, experiential environmental education within the framework of a living community.
Utilizing creative recycling and alternative/natural building techniques, the center now includes an ecological theme park, migratory bird reserve, nature trails, recycling center, and constructed wetlands for treating the waste water of the entire kibbutz.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers will be exposed to the challenges involved with the design, building and running of sustainable communities, linking together ecological, social, economical and spiritual aspects into a unified whole. Practical skills are developed through hands-on work in our environmental education center, organic gardens, alternative/natural building projects and the Lotan migratory bird reserve, complemented by theoretical sessions in topics such as ecological design, permaculture and sustainability. Practical work includes:
Organic gardeningand composting techniques
Natural, alternative building with mud, straw and straw bales, tires, and junk
Creative recycling -creating art and usable objects with discarded materials
Expansion, maintenance and running of the Center for Creative Ecology
Development and upkeep of the bird reserve and nature trails
Setting up workshops for educational tour groups
Work hours are 5:00 -13:00 (Sunday - Friday) with a break for breakfast in the middle. Some hours will be spent working closely with a supervisor, other times the volunteers will be working in a group on their own. One day a week will be a shorter work day in order to make time for an ecological-educational lesson.

Suggested duration of program:
2 weeks.

IL008 Umm El-Fahem Art Gallery

Umm El-Fahem is located near Megido in Northern Israel in a prominently Arab area. The city sits on the Umm El-Fahem mountain range and is the social, cultural and economic center for residents of the Wadi Ara and Triangle regions. The location is a secluded and conservative area.Umm el-Fahem is a Muslim city and is considered to be a conservative and traditional. It is peripheral to the nearest large city which is Haifa which is 30 km away. It is about and hour and 15 min. from Tel Aviv. Travel to and from Umm el-Fahem is possible by bus and taxi. In Umm el-Fahem itself there is little public transportation.
The Spoken Language in Umm el-Fahem is Arabaic. Most of the people speak Hebrew as well. Although there may be very proficient English speakers in Umm el-Fahem, the average person speaks very basic English, if at all.
Established in 1996, the Umm El-Fahem Art Gallery aims to bring quality contemporary art to the city and region. In addition, the gallery aspires to serve as an artistic and culture center for the city, bring art awareness and appreciation to its population, and serve as a bridge between Jewish and Arab cultures in Israel.

Volunteers' tasks:
Volunteers will have the opportunity to contribute to the gallery in a number of ways. Main duties include:
Research for Fundraising
Event Coordinating/Organizing
Website maintenance and content contribution
Routine gallery maintenance
Assistance with children's workshops
During the program, volunteers will work between 4-8 hours a day and will have 1-2 days off every week. Volunteers are expected to start their days at 9:00 am.

Suggested duration of program:
8 - 12 weeks.