Last week, OLAM hosted its celebrated Focal Point gathering, and Shalom Corps was pleased to sponsor and participate.
OLAM’s Focal Point is an exclusive opportunity for Jewish individuals and organizations engaged in global service, international development, and humanitarian aid to network, exchange ideas and best practices, and celebrate their shared commitment to serving the world’s most vulnerable individuals – within a Jewish context.
The session sponsored by Shalom Corps tackled how the Jewish conceptions of humility and confidence can play a guiding role in this field. As this work calls on tackling global issues which seriously impact people’s lives, it’s critical to keep in mind the wisdom, experience, and agency of local communities. Two live TED-style talks followed by a choose-your-own-adventure learning session helped participants reexamine their skills, talents, and the role they should play in efforts to repair the world.
The conference also featured meetings with Washington, DC based leaders in international development and in the Jewish world, and offered new ways to engage constituents on global issues through a Jewish lens.
Maria Youssim, Shalom Corps Director remarked, “I truly enjoyed meeting representatives of world-leading Jewish service organizations in person through the networking opportunities provided through each session and break, as well as the inspiring and informational sessions. The Jewish learning plenary we sponsored was filled with discussion and debate, and I really enjoyed watching hevrutot (learning pairs) engage in Jewish learning!”