A Career Volu teer

Hard work brings its own rewards: The author, below left, with Eduardo. She and participants in the Global Works program built a storm shelter for his family in Vaga Baja, Puerto Rico. Courtesy Nina Mermelstein

Hard work brings its own rewards: The author, below left, with Eduardo. She and participants in the Global Works program built a storm shelter for his family in Vaga Baja, Puerto Rico. Courtesy Nina Mermelstein

by Nina Mermelstein

Deciding how to spend my vacation time is always a very difficult choice for me. This year I am relieved of some of my anxiety because of what I learned during last summer’s Global Works program. I want that familiar feeling of accomplishment and joy from work I can do for others who are less fortunate. Just like last year, this summer promises to provide an experience that will enlighten me about lifestyles that are very different from my own. I was accepted into the American Jewish Society for Service (AJSS) program. This group leads community service projects throughout the United States. While the weather is warming up and the sun seems brighter every day, the memories of my previous summer seem clearer than ever.

Within days of starting my two-week Global Works trip to Puerto Rico, I overheard a comment that I thought was hysterical. We were working in the small community of Vega Baja and one of the native women whispered to her friend in wonder, “What kind of terrible thing did these kids do back home to deserve the difficult work that they are being forced to do for us?”

She gazed at the 17 teenagers (who she imagined must be juvenile delinquents) building hurricane shelters and septic tanks in the steaming hot weather. When she was told that we were volunteers and that we chose to work in her village, she truly couldn’t believe it. She went on to question why in their right minds would children, instead of going to the beaches or relaxing during their free time off from school, volunteer for such backbreaking, endless, grimy work. She found it most hard to believe that we actually paid to come and work there.

We attempted to explain to her in our broken Spanish that after only a few days we already had the invaluable experience of working together with the people from her neighborhood. With every brick that was passed and each bucket of cement that was poured, a new memory was built. While the community certainly benefited from the shelters and houses that we built for them, it was clear that we were the ones who gained the most during our trip to Puerto Rico.

Global Works trips include teenagers from all over the United States and sometimes from other countries. Right after I signed up for this trip, I was burdened with many fears that I couldn’t clear from my mind. There was one fear that continuously taunted me. Every program and camp that I’ve attended has been in the company of Jews. I thought of the worst case scenario: I’m stuck two weeks in a foreign country with anti-Semitic teenagers.

After meeting my fellow volunteers on the trip, the fears that once took over my mind seemed ridiculous. People can be so very different and yet alike in so many ways. After everyone felt comfortable in the new environment and with their teammates, questions started to circulate about the backgrounds of each of us. When I told the group that I was Jewish and came from a yeshiva day school, everyone was really interested and nobody reacted the way I had imagined. I told the group all about how I’ve learned Hebrew since the first grade and can speak it fluently.

Watching their fascinated faces, I was urged to tell them more about the Jewish laws that I observe including the reasons why I was eating a strictly vegetarian diet on this trip. I was proud that my religious education enabled me to easily explain how Jewish law affects all areas of my daily life.
My teammates were very curious about my education including the schedule of my day and what classes I take at school. I soon understood that although this trip took place in a country with a culture so different from our cultures at home, the participants were equally interested in learning about their own teammates’ cultures and religions.

The more we worked together the more we learned about each other. After we explored each other’s backgrounds it was time to learn about the native people and absorb the culture surrounding us. Close relationships were formed between each participant and the families that we worked with while building their community. For Angel and Maria we built a hurricane shelter; for their neighbors, we built a septic tank; and for a family down the road, we laid bricks and made pillars for their home.

We determined that our main goal during our stay was to teach the people that they shouldn’t only rely on the volunteer’s help. The people of the neighborhood should lend each other a hand and help one another out. We were fortunate to see progress in this area and by the time we were on to our third project, many members of the community were involved in some way whether it was passing bricks, mixing cement, preparing refreshments or even just cheering each other on.

Despite the boiling temperatures, cement filled shoes, dirt covered clothes and the sunburns that stung our faces, we looked forward to work every day. The community that first looked at us with confused expressions, as two huge white vans dropped off foreign teenagers ready to work, soon received us each day with warm smiles and meaningful hugs. Each morning we awoke tired, but the excitement over what we could learn from our experience was our adrenaline rush that kept us going.

For the second half of our trip we traveled to Las Casas de la Selva, a jungle lodge in the rainforest. Researchers there demonstrated the economic use of rain forest land without destroying the forest ecology. We spent our days building a new bunkhouse from the foundation up, to attract visitors who want to learn about the tropical rain forest. I found that the rain forest was the most beautiful, serene and interesting part of the trip. I learned a tremendous amount about the trees and plants of Puerto Rico and I was amazed by the methods of reforestation that they had developed.

While I only spent a quarter of my summer on this community service venture, it was two weeks very well spent. I realized that my comfortable life in Great Neck is really part of a much larger global community in which I can play an important role.

This experience has given me the courage to go into new situations no longer concerned that others will not accept me because of my different background. I am proud of my heritage and ready to explain it to anyone who is interested. I won’t deny that before entering into new situations I most likely will have fears and doubts, but I know I will not let those fears stop me from experiencing something new, which could be great.

Nina Mermelstein is a sophomore at North Shore Hebrew Academy in Great Neck, L.I.

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