Our community has many fabulous volunteers and we honor them, their dedication and contributions, and the organizations where they work.  This month's outstanding volunteers come from the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning’s Jewish Youth Philanthropy Initiatives (JYPI) Teen Council – Service-Learning Planning Team.

JYPI offers young people real life experiences giving them the opportunity to learn how philanthropy and service is an integral part of our Jewish tradition and can be an expression of our Jewish values.  Since JYPI's creation in 2000, more than 2,100 teens have participated in the program, awarding over $725,000 in grants to 180 non-profit organizations and completing over 11,000 hours of community service. For more about JYPI and to get involved, click here: http://pjll.org/content/jypi

(Pictured L-R Leah Siskin PJLL/JYPI Staff, Joan Sergay, Becca Gittleson, Nate Druckman, Colby Lewis)

Joan Sergay – 11th Grade, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School: “Volunteering with the Partnership through the JYPI program is an amazing experience because I get to explore my passion for philanthropy along side other dedicated and committed teens. It offers me a learning experience far beyond the scope of a classroom, in which I truly learn what it means to give back.”

Becca Gittleson -12th Grade, McLean School: “I love to volunteer with the Partnership’s JYPI program because I am able to be free to embrace my Jewish identity while participating in life-changing experiences. I have been able to participate in amazing volunteer activities that have opened my eyes to how worthwhile it is to donate my time to another individual. I also have been able to grasp the importance of these activities with kids my age through JYPI.”

Nate Druckman – 12th Grade, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School: “I really like volunteering with the Partnership’s JYPI program because it assists teenagers like me in making a difference. We get to be a part of shaping our community by doing service-learning projects which educate us about key issues and challenges facing our community. Once we learn about things that need changing, we then determine where our philanthropy would be most needed.”

Colby Lewis – 11th Grade, Sidwell Friends: “We should all do our part to give back to the community, local and global, by volunteering when and where we can, and playing our part in tikkun olam — repairing the world.”

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Previous Months' Featured Volunteers:


In celebration of the Washington DC Jewish Community Center's 25th Anniversary of the D25 Day of Service, it it our pleasure to feature
Sheryl Novick and Ilana Lampell. 




Sheryl and Ilana hit over 300 this year…knitted and crocheted items that is. On top of spending the year encouraging the Washington DCJCC’s volunteers of Handmade for the Homeless project to knit and crochet over 300 pieces (that were given to the homeless on December 25th) they truly embodied the spirit of what it means to be a volunteer and a part of a team. Each year the Morris Cafritz Center for Community Service at the Washington DCJCC coordinates a 1000 volunteers for its December 25th Day of Service project. This year, Sheryl and Ilana went above and beyond, not only encouraging volunteers to knit and crochet throughout the year but by helping out the several days before 12/25. They came early and stayed late and when they finished one project they asked what was needed next. Thanks ladies for being a part of our team and for all of your hard work!!