Well the contest from my last post didn’t go quite as I had planned. I had hoped to learn from you about your favorite charities, but for now I will be choosing one of mine, American Jewish World Service, to receive the $10 donation. If you’d like to help this cause out too, you can visit their take action page where you can not only donate funds, but also get involved in a number of advocacy efforts as well. Also, I really do want your input though so next time don’t be afraid to take me up on it :)

AJWS On the Brain

AJWS has been on my mind lately for a few reasons. For one, my sister Leah is starting work for them in the New York office on Monday in her new baller communications job! Hurray Leah I’m so proud of you! For another I heard from Rosie de Fremery, the IT director there, on twitter the other night about the aid word AJWS is doing to help in the fallout from the Myanmar cyclone. It’s impressive that they took advantage of the connections they have from organizations they already support there to get involved quickly with the recovery.

Great Video

Here’s an awesome AJWS video I found in a post by Michael Hoffman called The Age of YouTube: Using Online Video to Reach the Masses.

I find find this video to be very effective mostly because of the way it tells a story and relates that story to tangible values that people can connect with. Images of poor Ugandan children that could have been framed as a typical sob story in the tone of a plea are transformed into a message about fulfilling Jewish values and being a good global citizen. My favorite section is this quote from an AJWS volunteer:

“I am so grateful that AJWS is there to allow me to do this. To take my Torah learning to the streets.”

What I like about this video most is the way it shows AJWS as a positive representative of the Jewish people in the world through its efforts and frames a call to action within the seasonal and traditional context of the (at the time) upcoming Passover holiday. What do you like or dislike about it? How could this be improved? What nonprofit videos have inspired YOU to get involved?