The Louise D. and Morton J. Macks Jewish Connection Network announced a partnership with national Jewish service organization Repair the World, according to a Jan. 13 press release.
The partnership is intended to boost Jewish service learning in Baltimore and expand opportunities for young Jews to get involved in meaningful community volunteering.
JCN has been working to create a sense of belonging and connection across the Baltimore Jewish community since 2022. It maintains a tradition of service from its predecessor organization, the Jewish Volunteer Network, and will now have access to greater resources in accomplishing those goals.
"We are proud to work alongside The Network, a local expert in Jewish engagement, as we expand the Jewish service movement," Cindy Greenberg, president and CEO of Repair the World, said in a statement. "The insights and expertise that The Network brings to the table are invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen Jewish service across the country."
The move comes as Repair the World, which has operated in the area for the last 11 years, closed its Baltimore hub during the summer of 2024 after conducting internal strategy reviews, according to Addie Lewis Klein, executive director of the JCN.
Klein said that when the organization considered ways to continue serving the Baltimore community, it looked at a partnership to continue its work without an office and on-site staff.
"Because we [at JCN] were already doing so much Jewish service program creation, we were the natural partner for them. We also, meanwhile, had a long history of working with The Associated's Young Adult Division. This is going to allow us to bring more services to YAD and to create some other new service opportunities for young adults in the Baltimore Jewish community," Klein said.
Through the partnership, Repair the World will provide curriculum, training and resources to JCN, which will use its knowledge of the Baltimore community to implement the programs, according to the press release.
Klein said Repair the World has excellent service-learning resources that will bolster the service-learning component of JCN's work.
The initial phase of the partnership runs through July 2026 and will "focus on mobilizing Jewish volunteers in Baltimore through several key initiatives, including peer-to-peer volunteer teams, neighborhood volunteer opportunities organized by community connectors, episodic service opportunities for young adults and microgrants to encourage local Jewish organizations to expand their own service programs," according to the release.
The volunteer program will be coordinating with the YAD to create one of the teams and will participate in monthly service opportunities with staff support and funding for program-related expenses.
Klein said joining one of the teams is a way for young Jewish adults to make friends and build a community while serving. The organization will also provide neighborhood service opportunities through 40 grassroot community organizers.
Klein added that the microgrants will give JCN partners the funding to create service opportunities of their own for young Jews. By the end of the first year, partnership leaders hope to engage in over 400 acts of service and learning.
With the recent announcement of the partnership, Klein said that JCN is beginning to do outreach to make people aware of new opportunities.
"We are launching the partnership this week, so I think people should keep their eyes out for announcements of future programs. And right now, we are inviting people that want to learn more or want to get involved in helping us plan these opportunities to reach out to us and get coffee with one of the members of the Network team," Klein said.
As the partnership gets underway in 2025, Klein said JCN is hoping that this program will help with engaging young Baltimore Jews and introduce them to community service alongside their peers.
"We hope to help more young adults feel connected to the Baltimore Jewish community and feel and grow their commitment to service as one aspect of their Jewish identity. I also anticipate that the young adults that get involved with us will learn a lot about the needs of the Baltimore Jewish community around issues like food insecurity, housing insecurity, environmental change and other issues like that," Klein said.