Tikun Olam Family Work Project

"Repairing the World, One House at a Time"

Tikun Olam* means "Repairing the World" in Hebrew. While this mitzvah (good deed) is traditionally fulfilled by donating money to good causes, it can sometimes take the form of physical labor.

Our (primarily Jewish) group from Greater Boston organizes its own summer trips to remote, underfunded communities to work on housing, repair, and construction projects for individuals in need.

Every year, a hardy crew of capable souls make the 8-hour trek to the far northern town of Limestone, Maine** for five days of community service, repairing a house to make it warm, winterized, and livable again. The project gives new hope to a family and a much needed start to a new beginning.

Through our annual trip, we experience the satisfaction of giving to others by way of our deeds.

• We learn that hope can be found in a can of paint.

• We experience the warmth found inside a bag of insulation.

• We find support in the boards on a porch.

Since 2005, our volunteers have included teachers, office workers, lawyers, scientists, students, rabbis, social workers, professors, stay-at-home parents, tradespeople, and an excellent set of young adults and teenagers.

All trips are self-funded. We hold an annual raffle to pay for building materials.

*pronounced "tee-koon oh-lam"

The Tikun Olam Family Work Project is comprised of adult and youth volunteers from New England. We are an informal group that is not affiilated with any particular organization or synagogue, but our trip (between 15 and 30 people each year) has become an annual event.

We are always in search of new volunteers, and all are welcome regardless of geography or affiliation. Trips are financialy accessable to all. (Some scholarships are available.)

Our Core Values:

  • Model Tikun Olam (repairing the world) for our children.
  • Step outside our everyday 'comfort zones'.
  • Work closely with different people from all walks of life to build common understanding.
  • Engage challenging projects in a safe environment.
  • Practice living Judaism at the ground level - working with our hands.

"Repairing the World...
One House at a Time"

            
To understand more about how we build community,
click HERE to see som epast "Limestone Acheivement Awards"

 

 

 

 

 


*All photos on this site courtesy of Bruce Ravelson. JWH on our logo means, "Jews With Hammers"
 


For more information about future trips, contact our team.
 
Limestone 2008: Some of our Crew
Front of the house before... ...and after
The main entrance before (very hard to enter)... ....and after
The roofing crews practice their billy goat skills. ... as we keep the homeowner dry.
Some use their "looking at the roofing crew" skills... ...while others keep on shingling...
...and the foundation insulation crew works on.....
The back shed before... ...and after its rehabilitation
We paint.... ...and paint...
...and paint some more (Note the famous father/daugher painting team)
The leaky main window before.... ...and after: "tight as a button with not a wisp of air"
Time for a lunch break .... <== With many thanks to Sharon, our gracious volunteer cook, inhouse philosopher, and Limestone advisor.
Rebuilding the rotten porch... ..and adding attic insulation
Malcolm is our hero......with thanks to Pastor Ellen for giving him the time to lead us! ..and thanks to Steve who started the Tikun Olam Family Work Project in 2006.
Some time out for blueberry picking at a local farm...and we get to eat them for breakfast the next day. As we leave the blueberry farm, "But I thought YOU had the keys!"

The Tikun Olam Family Work Project is a non-profit group not affiliated with any other organization or entity.
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