FAQ
The program welcomes religious and non-religious participants. All of the activities organized on Shabbat or Jewish festivals are suitable for those who observe religious practices, however each participant is free to observe Shabbat in their own way.
Each week we arrange kabbalat Shabbat activities and share a festive meal. The food supplied by the centers is strictly vegetarian, locally purchased to ensure freshness. While we maintain a kosher-style kitchen, there is no local kashrut authority and therefore products are not supervised.
Check with the nearest consulate or embassy for your target country to find out what health requirements and restrictions are in place for volunteers. It is likely that you will be required to present documentation for some vaccinations at entering points at some of the countires.
While getting used to the local food, you might experience intestinal discomfort digestion in the first couple of weeks of your stay. TEN staff will be on hand to provide comfort and help. All TEN centers are within an hour's drive from a local hospital, and each center has a list of doctors that can be contacted, and you can be accompanied to a medical clinic if you wish.
Important! Common pharmacy items are usually available in the larger cities, and you do not need to stock up on them (please check with the center director which items are available at the specific location). However, if you take medication which is critical or unusual, it is advisable to bring it in its original package (and a copy of the prescription). It can save you from unpleasant situations at the airport, and ensure you can get replacement medicine where brand names may be different, by allowing the pharmacist to see the ingredients. You are required to notify us in advance of any health situation (physical or otherwise) for which you take medication or may impair your ability to volunteer and study with us.
Project TEN is looking for qualified interns who will join the center staff and be in charge of training of groups of volunteers aged 20-30 who come for a period of 3 months. Those who are chosen will be bare full responsibility for implementing the volunteer programs and presenting it to the program participants. For more information, click here.
We do not allow staying after the program is over. However, we offer one-year internship tracks for those who are qualified to be project coordinators.
Of course! We encourage you to explore the landscapes, culture and sights of the places you volunteered in.
We realize that participation in Project TEN will cost the volunteers money, such as for flights and participation fees. As a volunteering program, we cannot cover these costs, and we believe that a Tikkun Olam program should help those in desperate need in our target countries, and not the volunteers who are coming to help them. However, we want to ensure that no eligible participant will be turned away on account of being unable to pay the participation fee.
Project TEN has, therefore, established a Pay it Forward Fund that will provide some assistance to those volunteers who find it hard to pay for all of their expenses.
Each and every candidate will be required to participate in his or her own costs to some extent, and the scholarships will fund only up to 50% of the entire costs.
The UJA New York | TEN fund is based on a “pay it forward” model in which recipients are asked to sign an honor code, pledging to return the full amount within 2-3 years. This arrangement will not be legally binding, but will be actively encouraged, and will help other participants, in turn, to volunteer where they are needed.
We believe that a person who has had an amazing and life-changing experience in one of our centers will want to help others to have the same experience.
To apply, the participant needs to fill out a request form. Please contact jafi.org for more details. Each application will be reviewed by a committee, and the applicant will receive a reply within two weeks from the receipt of the application.
The costs of the program vary according to centers, duration and program. Please click here for specific costs.
Unfortunately, there is no option joining a program in the middle or leaving before the end besides in special and rare cases.
Please note that this process may take 2-8 weeks, and you should plan to apply at least 5 months before the program begins. We will try to help speed up the screening process in special cases only.
Each candidate will be required to fill out the application form, and complete a screening process that includes personal interviews, workshops, and analyzing texts, among other things. Please note that this process takes 2-8 weeks, and you should plan to apply at least 5 month before the program begins.
Once you fill out the application form, you will be contacted within 5 working days. You will be either invited to a screening day (if you are an Israeli participant) which is held every second week or we will schedule a Skype interview with you (if you are a non-Israeli participant).
7 working days after the screening day or the interview you will recieve an email with your application status.
Project TEN is funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel and other private donors. 80% of the actual costs to operate the volunteer centers are covered by the generosity of our sponsors. The remaining living costs, which are also heavily subsidized, are to be paid by the participants.
Project TEN is open to young Jewish adults between the ages of 20-35 from all over the world.
If you have a passion for social change and you speak English - we are looking for people like you!
Joining Project TEN is very simple! Just fill out the registration form and we will contact you within 5 working days.
Project TEN currently operates six volunteer centers in:
Project TEN is an international development program that operates volunteer centers in developing areas. We bring together young Jewish adults from all over the world, to a program that combines volunteer work with local communities, alongside service-learning in the fields of international development, culture, identity and Jewish activism. This program embodies the essence of Tikkun Olam while teaching Jewish leadership on the ground.
English is essential to join the program. However, the is no requirment to know the local language. Basic language skills will be taught at the center.