Congrats to our March Volunteer Spotlight:
Maiky Iberkleid! We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our
incredible volunteers like you.
Maiky has been volunteering with TOV since
2017 through a variety of programs including Feed Chicago and Mensches
in Motion, and he currently serves on our Good Deeds Day
Committee! We wanted to get to know Maiky a little bit more, so
he answered some of our questions below.
1. How did you
first get involved with TOV/JUF?
I heard about the
JUF at Shabbat dinner when I first moved to Chicago. Looking to meet new people
I decided to participate in LEADS where I learned about TOV and all the amazing
work they do. Shortly after LEADS, I signed up for Feed Chicago where I
volunteered at KAM Isaiah Israel's Urban Garden and fell in love with the
program's food justice & sustainability mission. I decided to continue
volunteering with them growing and donating fresh fruits and vegetables in the
South Side of Chicago while also teaching in their Farm School and MLK Food
Justice and Sustainability Weekend projects. Excited by the great programming
from TOV/JUF I joined Mensches in Motion to learn more about the different
service efforts the Jewish community embarks on and to continue to meet like
minded individuals looking to do good and have a great time. Since my early
days in Chicago I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to
join and lead JUF's Young Leadership Division's Service Committee as well as
help plan Good Deeds Day both of which allow me to give back to our community
while at the same time create opportunities like the ones I was given when I
first started.
2. What makes it
important for you to volunteer through TOV?
All four of my
grandparents were World War II survivors and from a young age they taught me
the importance of volunteering and helping those who need help. They often
reminded me that at one point they were on the receiving end of the generosity
of others and how those simple acts of kindness completely transformed their
lives. In fact most of the Jewish community in Bolivia, where I was born and
raised, came from similar backgrounds so service was always ingrained in
everything we did and closely tied to my Jewish identity. I fondly remember
hosting school supply drives for a rural school called "Colegio Estado
Israel", which translates to The State of Israel School, that the
community sponsored. Once we had collected the supplies the whole community
would drive out to the village where the school was located to drop off
donations and have a big cross-cultural celebration to kick off the school
year. I am blessed to have been given all the opportunities I got in life and
feel like it is my duty to give back to those we share this city and this world
with, especially those who find themselves going through hard times. The JUF
and TOV always do a fantastic job setting up events catering to a broad range
of issues and interests so I know that whenever I sign up for something I will
get to help others, grow as a person, and meet fantastic people.
3. Are there any
fun facts about you that we might not know? Feel free to also share a story or
experience that has inspired you.
In 2018 I was lucky
enough to join TOV on a trip to Puerto Rico to help with rebuilding efforts
after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The trip was a truly transformational
experience. During our time on the island we worked with a Jewish disaster
relief organization called Nechama and got to meet amazing individuals from all
over the world who had gathered together to help those in need. The trip was
meaningful in more ways than I can count ranging from learning how IsraAID led
efforts to have Israeli volunteers provide psychosocial support to local
residents and deploy Israeli technology to set up emergency water filtration
systems in remote locations to seeing how our hard work literally put a roof
over a family's head. However, what was most touching was that I was able to
build a bridge between my Jewish community and identity here in Chicago with
the Jewish community and identity I grew up with in Latin America which was
very special to me. (See Maiky featured on the Nechama page here)
We are so lucky to have Maiky as part of our TOV family!
To learn more about JUF’s important work in the community, sign up to
volunteer, or to make a donation in his honor, please visit our website.