serving with Flying
Doctors, a volunteer organization that provides free medical care to impoverished communities worldwide.
His tragic death inspired his widow, Ilene, and friends and family to create a day of learning and volunteerism.
“Marv celebrated life, and proved it by helping others live better lives,” said Jehon Grist, executive director at Lehrhaus. “Whether in the classroom or at a board meeting, he had a keen intellect and a questioning spirit. He used these strengths to solve the problems he faced, and made so many friends who joined him in the effort to make the world a better place.”
The Lehrhaus Day of Learning will partner the efforts of Jewish scholars, leaders and local Bay Area organizations to educate and engage new volunteers in human and social service.
Following 9:30 a.m. registration, Ilene Weinreb will introduce the program at 10 a.m., followed by a keynote address from Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service, which offers assistance to communities in need worldwide.
After the keynote address, participants will attend two back-to-back workshops of their choice from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. These workshops will focus on both the textual sources that obligate Jews to take action, as well as the concrete volunteer work being done locally and globally.
Among the instructors is Professor Naomi Janowitz of U.C. Davis, who runs a program bringing students to tutor prisoners at San Quentin, and Ilana Schatz, who coordinates hundreds of local volunteers through the Volunteer Action Center of the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay.
The following workshops will be offered:
“Saving An Entire World: A Jewish Response to Medical Crises,” with Messinger, will examine textual sources for healing the sick and discuss the work American Jewish World Service is doing in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
“Beyond Soup Kitchens: Advocacy as Tikkun Olam,” with Schatz, will deal with the Jewish response to the root causes of poverty and other concerns, and how others have changed the world.
“Partners in Creation: Judaism and the Environment,” with Adam Weisberg, executive director of Berkeley Hillel, will look at Jewish tradition and the environment, as well as the appropriate Jewish response to current environmental issues.
“People of the Book: Students Behind Bars,” with Janowitz, will examine how volunteer teachers are helping prison inmates improve their literacy and prepare for a better life.
“Getting in Your Own Face: The Boundaries of Tikkun Olam,” with Rabbi Jane Litman of Berkeley’s Congregation Beth El, will challenge participants to confront their prejudices and assumptions about working to help those whom they view as “different.”
The Volunteer Fair from 1 to 3 p.m. will feature nearly 30 Jewish and non-Jewish Bay Area volunteer organizations in the fields of medicine, women’s and children’s issues, literacy, international development and others. Participating organizations include Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Bay Area Women Against Rape, Berkeley Free Clinic, Alta Bates Chaplaincy Program, Oakland HEROES Literacy Mentorship Program and USA/Cuba Info-Med.
The day will conclude with a closing session from 3 to 4 p.m., with a panel of experienced volunteers talking about their work.