An Inter-faith Focus on Social Justice - An Interview with Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Temple Shaaray Tefila
This past February, Temple Shaaray Tefila brought 47 teens to Nicaragua to volunteer with Bridges for their joint annual inter-faith program with the Bedford Presbyterian Church. Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Associate Rabbi, and Brad Zicholtz, Director of the Temple’s Youth Program (and also a Bridges Board member), have been coordinating these service trips with the Bedford Church for the past seven years. It all started at the urging of Dr. Gary Cohn who had been down in Nicaragua with Bridges previously and felt this would be an import asset to the Temple's Youth program.
Since they began sending their teen members to Nicaragua, Temple Shaaray Tefila has become the largest faith based group that Bridges coordinates. Over 200 young congregants have made ten trips to Nicaragua helping to build more than 52 homes in three small farming communities. The Temple groups have raised and contributed thousands of dollars for these houses as well as for school kitchens, food storage facilities, a community center, small business loans and a women's cooperative that provides natural medicines.
"Most of our children live affluent lives and want to understand how 80% of the world lives. These trips have given them an understanding on a global level. During the reflections we have every evening at the sites where we work in Nicaragua, the groups not only have an inter-faith experience but they are also learning more about what it means to be Jewish and the true meaning of the old scriptures," states Rabbi Nevarez.
During their first trip to Nicaragua, the Rabbi and the Temple group connected with what remained of the Jewish community in Managua after the Sandinistas took over the country. There were only about 60 Jews left in the country and they had no synagogue, rabbi, or services. The volunteers helped the Nicaraguan Jewish population to reestablish their religious community. Now during each of their visits to the country, the Temple Shaaray congregants celebrate the Friday evening Shabbat together with the local Jewish community including the Bedford Presbyterian Church group. As a native Spanish speaking person, Rabbi Nevarez was able to communicate more easily with the locals and has subsequently conducted the first bar mitzvah in Nicaragua for many decades. He believes that this is also a part of reaffirming Jewish traditions and beliefs.
Over the years since the Temple Youth Program started organizing the Bridges to Community's trips, they have learned a lot about which young people really want the experience and are truly motivated. The excursions to Nicaragua became more popular as teens came back excited and sharing about their experiences. They decided to implement an application process to help them decide who to include. The kids now must write an essay, get teacher recommendations and provide a CV of their community service. They also have a required orientation session jointly held with the Bedford Presbyterian youth group. Since the trips are so popular repeat participants are only allowed if they help to lead a group and conduct orientations.
The participants must raise a minimum of $350 to go on the trip but there have been some who have brought in as much as $15,000 for the Bridges to Community's programs. The kids and parents send letters out to their friends and family to help. This past year the Temple contributed $55,000 for Nicaragua. In the spring, a "shareholder's" dinner is hosted and a slide show is shown of the last group's trip. All the people who donated are invited and about 200 attend.
The effect of the Bridges to Community's trips on their young people has been extensive. A number have gone on to coordinate their own Bridges to Community groups at their universities. Last summer the Temple hosted an honors night to recognize the outstanding efforts of four of our volunteers. The faith based groups have also influenced the local public high schools in the area. When many of the young volunteers returned from Nicaragua, they went to their administrators and pushed to start up Bridges to Community's programs in the schools. When they go to Nicaragua, and build homes, they see sustainable change. The North American kids are out of their element; their cell phones are gone and they are just "in it" for the week.
Rabbi Nevarez relates, "Some of the kids feel a little guilty after their trips to Nicaragua where the people have so little," he explains, "But I tell them that they should not feel guilty about the gifts that they have but what is important is how they use them in life, especially for social justice."
The Rabbi has made six trips to Nicaragua. The last time he went was in 2008 and he brought 7 Israeli teens from Haifa with him as part of an exchange program with the Temple. The Rabbi plans to return to Nicaragua in 2011 and hopes to bring another group of Israeli students with him again as it adds another mix to the total groups' experiences.
"It gets me excited to share the experience with others and walk that path with them," Rabbi Nevarez says, "Jewish ideals include using our hands to do the work, whether it is to lay bricks or embrace someone; it will enhance the spiritual self. These trips give me nine days of grounding, dealing with humanity at its core and it also helps me better connect with the youth and adults in the congregation."
A few years ago, Temple Shaaray Tefila won the Irving Fain Award for Social Justice for their work in Nicaragua. They are extremely proud of this national recognition. Rabbi Nevarez believes that the Temple will continue a strong connection to the Bridges program and he hopes to spread "the gospel" to other synagogues.
The Temple's Youth Program's literature outlining their Bridges experience explains the commitment of the congregation: "On our trips, we live amongst the poor in their neighborhoods. Together we share our food, our thoughts, our laughter, and our dreams. We leave changed forever."
