Volunteerism has been growing in the country; not only the elder find time for it but youth, all over the country; takes part in the various projects that are available for them. Recently, meanly in the last five years, a University survey claims that an increase of 13% has taken place within the Israeli society.
Here are some of the volunteer’s stories:
Avi Toybin, a Tel Aviv citizen, walked by the Yarkon River in April 2009, encountering a scene in which a kayak had turned over, in the river, while its sailor got caught beneath it.
Avi did not think twice and entered the deep water pulling out the young lady-sailor, Jasmine Feingold, thus saving her life.
The Yarkon river was considered -at that time and many years beforehand- to be a highly contaminated river, hence no one wished to enter its waters.
Avi was awarded the high Volunteer Award by the President. Mr. Shimon Peres.
– The Office of the President of Israel and the National Council for Volunteerism in Israel celebrate annually the spirit of Volunteerism in Israel, by acknowledging it with an annual award, handed out by the President himself.
For the taste of it, this is the long list of Award winning volunteers of year 2008, as announced by the President’s chamber:
President’s Medal 2008
The Office of the President of Israel and the National Council for Volunteerism in Israel congratulate recipients of the President’s Medal for Volunteerism
Individual recipients of the medal for 2008:
- Shoshanna Agangi – for the development and advancement of volunteerism in Be’er Sheva and its surrounding area
- Guila Seidel – for aid to blind and visually impaired children, and their families.
- Atara Haimovitch – for the foundation and management of a welcoming house for special needs children suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, requiring respiratory equipment
- Ze’ev Factor – for material and social aid to 30,000 needy holocaust survivors
- Benjamin Kiryati – for aid to the needy, and for the creation of an enterprise to nourish children in distressed areas of the country
- Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon – for his efforts to re-integrate hundreds of former Gush Katif residents into the workforce
- Amin Kassam – for his activities to preserve Bedouin heritage and to promote Bedouin and Jewish co-existence
Organizational recipients of the medal for 2008:
- Hasdei Naomi – for aid to needy families and bedridden hospital patients
- LEAD – for its educational activities and development of young leadership among youth groups
- NATAL (Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War) – for its psychological aid to victims of terror and emergencies in Israel
- YEDID (The Association for Community Empowerment) – for its activities for the advancement and preservation of social rights for the needy
Youth recipient of the medal for 2008:
- Levi Levayev – for three years of support and assistance to improve the quality of life a disabled senior citizen
Citation for an extraordinary act to benefit society
- The late Omri Gilor – who at 12 years old expressed his wish to donate his organs, and in his death saved the lives of others
For more I formation about volunteerism in Israel, please refer to the Volunteering in IL website:
