New Year, New Wisdom- Check it out!

Justifi family and friends! 

I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by! Over 100 people got to experience the incredible adventure, growth and new perspective that a Justifi trip brings. We opened a new destination - Sri Lanka, we ran an alternative spring break trip with Penn Hillel, and we had a whole lot of fun, growth, and contribution taking place personally and around the world.  

One thing Rosh Hashana teaches us is that EVERYTHING can change in a second. We're entering a whole new year, a new reality - leaving the past with all its regrets, pains, fears and obstacles behind us.  You could step away from that negative relationship that has been holding you down, you could turn the corner and bump into the soul mate you've been waiting for so long, you could leave the job you hate and find something more meaningful, you could learn how to deal more effectively with life's challenges (yes, I mean those parents and their well meaning but misplaced pressure),  you could take up an instrument, painting, a hobby you've always wanted to do but have never been able to prioritize. It's all up to you. Newness is here, it's your choice whether you are going to tap into it or not. Don't be the same person this year. Dream, imagine, think big - What do I want this year? Who do I want to be? Who do I want to surround myself with? What to I want to learn?Then you will have taken the first step -  the journey always starts with the desire to go somewhere, to see new things, to create a new life. We wish you all the courage and strength you need to be able to live your dreams.  

All of us at Justifi wish you all a Shana Tova UMetuka - a very good and sweet year. 

We hope to see you on a trip or online or in person as often as possible in the coming year. If you're ready to confirm your spot click here.

Watch this space for some exciting new opportunities to engage with Justifi this year - we for one are tapping into the energy of newness in the air. 

We love you guys, 

The Justifi Team (Jamie, Steve, DB, Sarah, Noah and Hadassa). 

Why We Select Our Destinations

Why We Select Our Destinations

Justifi is runs trips in many regions: Asia (Thailand and India), Latin America (Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua), Africa (Uganda and South Africa), and even the Middle East (United Arab Emirates). We are constantly in the process of researching and designing new itineraries, so be sure to stay tuned for updated progress as we are all very excited to be expanding.

For those who aren’t exactly aware of what we do here at Justifi, our programs are typically a combination of the following things:

1.       Travel to a great destination

2.       Setting up meaningful service projects with local partners

3.       Exciting adventure activities and opportunities

4.       Fantastic groups of people who are all led by amazing staff

So, of course at the center of all this is where we go! The following information is just to give you an idea of what we look for, how we decide and what goes into each AMAZING Justifi trip…

Opportunities for Meaningful & Impactful Service Projects

Behind each destination we go to, we address a serious local issue in partnership with local organizations. These include issues such as human trafficking in Thailand, child domestic labor in Peru, post-apartheid injustice in South Africa and environmental devastation in Nicaragua. An understanding of each of these is the heart of each trip and in making it the sole priority, we work to make sure there are great organizations within those places that we can partner with to help further address them.

As you may likely already know, there are thousands upon thousands of volunteer organizations and projects out there that we could partner with, however, we want to go to a place where we know there is a real need and where we can make a real difference.

An Extraordinarily Beautiful Place

In addition to helping out with local projects and communities, each destination we head to through our Justifi trips is a place where we know is filled with natural beauty, incredible history and a place you simply may never want to part with. Whether it’s the rice paddies and stunning temples of Thailand, the incredible volcanoes of Nicaragua or the unmatched Table Mountain of South Africa, each place is nothing short of breathtaking. We know that being in the midst of so much beauty can only add positivity to your trip and it is our goal as a team here at Justifi to make sure we create as many ‘take your breath away’ moments as we possibly can for everyone that heads out on the adventure with us.

Something You Can Check Off Your Bucket List

If you have gone out of your way to track us down, spent some time finding out about who we are, and chosen to take the time off of work in order to head out on an adventure with us, you better believe we are going to make sure you have a trip you filled with plenty of “check marks” covering your bucket list. We want you to come back with a story to tell your friends and family and plenty that you will be looking back on for many years to come. Examples of these types of adventures would be hiking the ruins of Peru’s Machu Picchu, rappelling down a 40-meter waterfall in Nica or swimming in volcanic lagoons. In other words, creating memories and experiences you may have never thought you could accomplish. We want you to feel like your effort of heading out with us on a trip was all worth it.

Full Experience in a Short Period of Time

Most people on our trips have limited time off, which is why we want to offer a full experience in a short period of time. The last thing we want you to do is to fly all the way to Peru or Thailand just to spend your entire trip in one single town or village. Instead, we want you to see as much as possible, do as much as possible and experience a wide variety of things even within a short amount of time. If you decide to travel to Nicaragua for 7 days with us, you will be exploring a TON of places throughout the entire country and if you decide to spend 10 days in South Africa, your time will be spent traversing all the awesome highlights the country has to offer. We want to make sure we give you the perfect combination of meaningful projects, beautiful surroundings and plenty of adventures.

Incredible Adventure & Extra Curricular Activities

We understand that not everyone who decides to join us on a trip is going to be an adrenaline junkie, and that is totally OK! However, if you are a thrill seeker, we want to make sure you have the option to experience something pretty epic in each place we head to. Whether it is ziplining in Peru, high speed boat rides in Thailand or overnight safaris in South Africa, there is always going to be something exciting to be done. Plus, after a long day, we make sure there are also plenty of fun places to relax and explore. Rooftop bars in Chiang Mai, Thailand or local discotequas in Peru, we make sure your days begin and end in the best ways possible.

Safety is Always a Priority

We could have the best trip ever for most of our participants, but if even one of our participants were to get lost, that would pretty much ruin the trip…which by the way, has never happened just in case you were wondering. We always make safety one of the top priorities in the midst of all the fun and craziness by talking to local experts, past visitors, visits done by ourselves, reviewing government agency sites, reading news articles and making sure that it is in fact a safe destination. Although there are always risks involved with anywhere you travel, we want to take minimal risks and only travel to countries we are confident in as far as safety concerns go.

Jewish Considerations

Lastly, and of central importance, is the consideration – is it a safe place for Jewish travelers. As Jewish volunteers and travelers, we have additional considerations that must be taken into account. Is the population friendly to Jewish people, is there a local Jewish population, is there any existing Jewish infrastructure in the country? By asking these questions, we ensure that the destinations we visit are exciting, with great opportunities for service work, and (most importantly) safe for our groups.

How to Find Good Organizations to Volunteer with When You Travel

Here at Justifi, one of the central parts of all of our programs is partnering with local organizations within the area we head out to. This helps to make each of our projects sustainable as well as a fantastic learning experience for everyone involved, as they are able to provide wisdom about the community itself. With knowledge about the population, the existing infrastructure and the traditions of the area, partnering up with local organizations allows us to immerse in the culture and create meaningful and sustainable relationships.

We make it a top priority to choose the right partner organization by knowing the various strengths of our group members, budgets per program, and of course making sure it’s a good cultural fit for what we do.

One of the many benefits that we reap from doing this is that often times we get to work with organizations that don’t typically take on volunteers. What helps to set us apart and allows us to do this is that we come with the necessary resources, we completely manage the team of volunteers, build relationships and plan for months in advance to help ensure our projects are well focused to make a real difference within a short amount of time.

However, we understand and appreciate the fact that not everyone can join us on one of our trips. Taking the time off of work, budget reasons, or conflicting dates could be factors in not being able to join in on a trip. If that sounds like you and you may be thinking about volunteering somewhere else on your own, consider the following pieces of advice on how to get started doing just that…

Before Your Start Looking for Partner Organizations:

Ask Yourself: What time and energy are you looking to commit?

How much time do you have to set aside from your everyday life and routines and maybe take off of work in order to volunteer? Do you have the time? The timing of things is an extremely big factor to most and it truly does affect the amount of options you have. Typically, the longer you commit to, the more opportunities there are and the better the chances of finding something that intrigues you as well.

Ask Yourself: What issues are important to you?

Have you always been passionate about the welfare of animals? Maybe you care about education or sustainable living? Think about it and try to narrow down your focus to specific causes that have are of most interest to you.  From there, you can begin a search in your destination area that matches your specific interests.

Ask Yourself: What specific skills do you offer?

Depending on the organization or community you are interested in, you may find that they tend to be extremely busy and may even receive multiple inquiries a week for people hoping to volunteer with them.

It's an unfortunate reality for many small organizations that taking on volunteers is a challenge that requires planning, management, and time commitment from the organizations core staff.  So if you really want to make a difference and make your visit as convenient as possible for your host organization, think about exactly what you'd like to do and be specific on what exactly you can offer them. Are you good at crafts? Do you know how to build a bamboo fence? Maybe you love cooking and cleaning? Whatever you know you can contribute and offer, tell them that and let them know the specifics on when you can come, what you can do and make it as easy as possible for them to say yes.

Tips for Finding Great Organizations

Simply Use Google

As with any other research you conduct, Google is your best friend in this case too. Type in ‘volunteer’ and place you would like to head to. Chances are, something will come up within the first page or two that will spark your interest and typically are ones that are well established and can accommodate you. The one negative thing, however, is that sometimes these are also bigger and a bit more ‘structured’ and less needy than others out there that you could help. If you are hoping to volunteer for a shorter amount of time, these may be just the right fit for you.

Search for Specialty Networks

With English as one of the most highly sought after languages to be learned and plenty of countries with mass populations of both children and adult not being given the opportunity to learn it, the demand for English teachers is often extremely high. There are a ton of organizations out there that can help you connect with communities who are in need of English teachers and in turn, you will find that the longer you stay, the more you will get out of it and the biggest difference you will make.

If teaching isn’t quite your thing, then consider helping out on a farm through an organization like WWOOF where you will work in exchange for food and accommodation. Not a fan of farms or teaching? Maybe helping out in a hostel for a month or so checking people in and out, cleaning and organizing events may just be the thing for you!

Use Social Networks

Chances are, if you find an organization during your Google search, they have got a Facebook page where you will be able to check out the reviews, comments and personal posts and pictures of people that have volunteered through them. This also offers you a better look into a more emotional aspect of the organization as websites can often times (not always) offer as much helpful information as their Facebook pages do. Scroll through what they have there and chances are, you will get a much better idea of what the organization has to offer.

Just Show Up & Ask Around

If you are reading this and are already in the middle of an adventure abroad and are contemplating possible volunteer opportunities, then ask around at local cafes, restaurants and shops! You never know if they are being ran by someone who could point you in the right direction or if they have a bulletin board with the exact flyer that may just be right for you. Talking to locals and connecting with people personally is one of the best ways to get helpful information that could bring about new opportunities and ideas.

Note – A Word of Caution

Unfortunately, there are a lot of organizations out there that don’t exactly have the best intentions when it comes to volunteers helping out in their communities. With money as the main object in mind, these places often times leverage the needs of a disadvantaged population to attract both sympathy and profit. 

We strongly advise that although helping out at places like orphanages and with victims of abuse does sound good in and of itself, visiting only for a short amount of time in either one may not be what's needed for the population you're trying to help. Children in these places need stable relationships and proper care in order to grow and thrive and if your trip is a short one, it's unlikely you'll be able to offer them the support they need.

Chanukah & My Fascination with Fire

In 1981, when I was 4 years old, our house burnt down.

We were on holiday when the police called and told my parents the news. The holiday was cut short and my parents, who had just moved to England 8 years earlier, now with their two young children, went home to see that all that remained of their house was a burnt out shell. They managed to salvage some photos, a few bits of cutlery and crockery and my father dug through the ashes and managed to retrieve the board and all the carved pieces of the marble chess set my parents received for their wedding. (10 years later, I accidently broke the chessboard in half whilst playing rugby with my friend in the living room of our new house, strongly validating my mum’s constant admonition not to play with a ball in the house).

I don’t know if it is because of that, but my whole life I have been fascinated with fire. As a young boy I had fun making flame throwers with spray deodorant and a lighter (until I burnt a huge hole in my bedroom curtains – that’s something you just can’t cover up from your parents), when I lived in Thailand and Laos I used to make a fire every full moon, and now living in Israel many of my personal development seminars finish with a fire ceremony in the Jerusalem Forest or the park next to my house.

In fact, most people I know are enticed by fire and could sit for hours looking at a bonfire down to the last burning embers, something we often do on the Justifi Nicaragua trip (accompanied by fine local rum).

Our tradition teaches that fire is the most spiritual, physical thing in the world. It’s barely physical at all, you can’t grasp it and it just seems to go up and disappear into the sky, yet you can see it, feel it, and if there is no wood, no fuel, nothing connecting it to earth, then it can’t exist at all.

As Chanukah approaches and we prepare to light our candles, our sages teach us many special ideas about fire. Here are three of my favourite:

a)      Just like a flame, we must always be striving upwards, living our dreams, connecting to more meaningful and fulfilling and conscious living, whilst at the same time being grounded and practical and connected to everyday reality.

b)      Just like the full effect of a flame is only noticed when it is lit in a dark place, so to in our lives the darkest times hold within them the potential for the greatest light, the greatest breakthrough and growth.

c)       Just like when someone shares a flame to light someone else’s candle they do not lose anything, in fact the light is increased, so to with the important things in life such as love and joy and friendship, the more you share and give away, the more there is for everyone.

With this in mind, my strong advice to help you balance out the immense spirituality of Chanukah is to indulge in as many greasy donuts as possible, ensuring you remain firmly grounded and in this world. It’s the only way - Trust me, I’m a Rabbi.

Happy Chanukah