KEDMA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Kedma’s flagship volunteering program, the KVP (Kedma Volunteer Program), launched in September 2019. Through the KVP, Kedma manages weekly volunteering for seminaries throughout Jerusalem. Hundreds of gap year students have volunteered through Kedma and have been exposed to a myriad of causes ranging from working with kids from at-risk homes, to visiting the elderly, and volunteering at a women’s and children’s shelter. This past year, the KVP rose to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Through national lockdowns, quarantine, and war, volunteering did not stop because of the multifaceted nature of the KVP. 50% of Kedma students volunteered in Corona-safe face to face volunteering, while the other 50% volunteered remotely. Students gave back to Israeli society in a myriad of ways, including working with kids from at-risk homes, packing food for the needy, connecting with elderly who were living in isolation during the pandemic, and tutoring new olim. During lockdowns, Kedma brought volunteering to the students and arranged for candy packaging for kids in quarantine over the holidays and pomegranate juicing for cancer patients within the safety of their schools.

For 2021-22, Kedma is embarking on a new partnership with the Jerusalem Municipality, which will expand the KVP’s reach and will empower students to make a greater difference in Israeli society.