Matanel Fellows for Sustainable Development

Vision

Creating Israeli and Jewish leadership passionately involved in “tikkun olam” (repairing the world) locally and globally, and working together with impoverish communities to enhance their livelihood, capacity and well-being.

Activity

The Exchange for Change program is a unique volunteer program that enables participants to integrate into community activities for a month while familiarizing themselves with Nepalese culture.

During the program, the volunteers get to live with Nepali families, experience Nepalese culture and become part of the local community. The volunteers are integrated into the organization’s work in the village in the fields of agriculture, the youth movement, education in schools and in the women’s groups.

The program is designed for travelers, professionals, and anyone interested in contributing their time to experience a unique cultural experience.

tevelbtzedek.org/exchange-for-change-post-earthquake/

How can we, as faithful Jews, fight against a form of globalization created to maximize the accumulation of wealth by multinational corporations? How can we raise up our brothers and sisters who are victims of this form of globalization, who are growing poorer, losing their ways of life, bearing the brunt of environmental destruction? Battling for a different kind of globalization will take clarity of purpose and strength of conviction. A clear and strong reading of the Torah’s teachings on economic justice can serve as a crucial ethical and spiritual bulwark, a place to stand as we reach outward to make new alliances.”

- Micha Odenheimer

Micha Odenheimer

Micha is the founder and director of Tevel B’tzedek. Micha was born in Berkley, California. He received his B.A. from Yale University, Cum Laude, in 1980. In 1984, Micha received his rabbinic ordination and was a student of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. In 1988 Micha immigrated to Israel and ever since has been working in social activism in Israeli society, and has written extensively on Judaism and social justice. A prolific journalist, Micha has reported on poverty, globalization and human rights from around the world, and written for the Washington Post, The Guardian, The London Times, The Jerusalem Report and Haaretz. In 1998, the Joint Distribution Committee granted Micha the “Boris Smolar Prize,” based on his work covering of Ethiopian Jewry. Micha also founded the Israeli Association for Ethiopian Jewry, which is one of the most instrumental and valued organizations dealing with the absorption of Ethiopian immigration to Israel.

Activity Reports

2018-2019

Activity Report