By Sarah Herskowitz
As we ready ourselves
for Israel's upcoming birthday celebration and reflect on the last 64 years, we
can't help but swell with pride at our country's many accomplishments.
In what seems like no
time at all, the State of Israel has become a world leader in scientific
research and technological development in fields ranging from medicine to green
technology. Over the last several decades, there has been a constant
stream of citations and awards recognizing the contributions of our country's
academics, leaders and institutions. In addition, Israel is known as an
international hub for innovation and a trailblazer in virtually every
discipline – from economics to political science to biotechnology.
These achievements
speak to a wider Israeli penchant for diagnosing flaws within a given paradigm
or situation and developing practical, effective solutions. In short, Israel
succeeds because its population is uniquely capable of filling gaps, fixing
what's broken and righting wrongs.
However, while the
accolades achieved by Israel's elite are impressive, they are by no means the
best measurement of the country's growth. As I see it, true progress is
defined by a society's willingness to channel the same innovation and
creativity developed for its business and government sectors into the treatment
and care of its most vulnerable citizens.
In this regard,
Israel truly has a great deal to celebrate.
For the last twenty
years, I have worked for ALEH, Israel’s largest network of residential
facilities for children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. When I
first began, our work was limited to ensuring that the children in our care
were simply kept healthy and happy. But as times went on, our projects expanded
and we began utilizing the most cutting-edge techniques and therapies
available, allowing us to move light years beyond our initial mandate.
The secret formula that
helped our organization grow, and improved care for the underprivileged and
disabled across Israel over the last two decades, is yet another homegrown
formula from the 'start-up nation' – I like to call it 'innovation in
caring'.
For example, while
the impact made by donors and volunteers is usually measured in dollars and
cents, Israeli donors and volunteers have simply refused to allow themselves to
be limited by these standards.
Instead of clocking
in and out, volunteers are consistently seeking new ways to give of themselves
and maximize each and every visit. This trend has led to numerous advances for
and a host of new services provided by non-profit organizations across the
country.
In the same vein,
donors are no longer content just writing checks, and have taken an active role
in helping their chosen organizations make the most of the resources available
and improving the services provided.
This involvement
speaks to a deeper relationship between individual and organization than simply
giving of one's time or funds. It emphasizes the fact that our donors and
volunteers don't simply pick a charity out of a hat, but instead go through an
active process of choosing a cause with which they personally identify. This
relationship is taken a step further when these individuals bring their
professional expertise to the fore to benefit the non-profit projects.
Though the rise of a
vibrant technology sector and a flurry of Nobel prizes receive the bulk of the
headlines, Israel's development is more capably explained in the growth of our
charitable organizations and the integration of our neediest populations.
And so, here's to the
next batch of Israeli academics, leaders and entrepreneurs who will put us on
the map with their revolutionary new methods of filling the gaps, fixing what's
broken and righting the wrongs. But, most importantly, here's to the next
64 spectacular years of Israeli innovation in caring.
No comments:
Post a Comment