Logistics

(Dates are liable to change; contact our staff at ten@jafi.org for updates.)

• Each candidate will be required to fill out an application, and complete a screening process that includes private interviews, workshops, and analyzing texts, among other things.

  Please note that this process may take 2-8 weeks, and you should plan to apply at least two months before the departure dates below. We will try to help speed up the screening process in urgent cases only.

• Admissions workshops and interviews will be held at The Jewish Agency's main building in Jerusalem, at 48 King George Street, from 9:30 am to 2 pm, on January 23; February 6 and 20; and March 6 and 20. Applicants from outside Israel will be interviewed by Skype.
• Next groups to Gondar, Ethiopia:
  • February 20 - May 17, 2013
  • May 8 - August 8, 2013
  • July 31 - October 31, 2013
  • October 23, 2013 - January 2014
• Next groups to Hyderabad, India:
  • February 5 - May 2, 2013
  • May 20 - August 8, 2013
  • August 12 - October 31, 2013
  • November 5, 2013 - January 30, 2014
• First groups to the new center in Kiryat Shmona, Israel:
  • February 11 - June 11, 2013
  • June 11 - October 11, 2013
  • October 14, 2013 - February 14, 2014
• First groups to the new center in Oaxaca, Mexico:
  • June 3 - September 3, 2013
  • September 3 - December 3, 2013

The starting date is the one on which you need to reach your target country. We will pick you up at the airport. At the end of the three-month program, should you wish to continue your volunteering, you must relay your wishes to the center director in advance so you can discuss your options together.

 Hebrew form

Your volunteer center will provide at least three meals a day. When necessary, the volunteers will receive boxed lunches to take with them when working or touring outside the center. The food will be kosher-style and vegetarian (see "FAQ" if you keep strictly kosher).

The water at all centers is safe to drink, and bottled water is available for purchase in town.

Project TEN centers encourage pluralistic and engaged Jewish life, and their members will respect each other's diversity of lifestyles, beliefs, and backgrounds. Each group will decide together the ways in which they would like to celebrate Shabbat and holidays, in a manner that enriches each member of the group individually and the group as a whole.

At each center, you will be responsible for the cleanliness of your own room, and for cooking for Shabbat and holidays. Employees will take care of cleaning common areas and preparing meals during the week.

The flights to your target country are your responsibility; please let us know your flight schedule at least a week before, so we can plan the pick-up schedule. In some cases, such as countries in which the airport is far from the TEN center, you might spend the first night in the city closest to the airport; details will be given to you as necessary.

Project TEN will not provide medical coverage of any kind, and the volunteers are responsible for acquiring a full medical and health insurance policy. We recommend including medical evacuation in this policy. The program will require each volunteer to send a copy of his or her insurance policy for its records, and to sign a waiver that releases Project TEN of responsibility for any medical or health-related situations that may occur.

Check with the nearest consulate or embassy for your target country to find out what health requirements and restrictions are in place for volunteers. It is likely that you will be required to present documentation for some or all of the following vaccinations: hepatitis A and B, yellow fever, meningitis, polio, measles, typhoid, tetanus, and tuberculosis.

The volunteers are responsible for obtaining the proper visas for the relevant target country. Project TEN will provide each volunteer with a formal letter that states that he or she has been accepted by the program and will volunteer in a TEN center. The details of whether to apply for a work or a tourist visa will be provided to you, as they vary by country. We recommend checking the relevant embassy's website and/or inquiring at their offices in your country.

All our centers have been approved for operation by The Jewish Agency Chief Security Officer after extensive research and preparation.

The center in Gondar, Ethiopia is in a closed compound, with a guard on duty 24/7. While under the auspices of our program, you may not leave the Gondar center alone, nor go out after dark unless as part of an authorized activity or trip.

Security policies at the other centers will be provided before the commencement of those programs.

Security tips for tourists in any country:

• Try to travel in a group and avoid walking on the streets alone at night. Avoid dark/enclosed areas.
• At night, use taxis rather than buses, and call for a taxi company rather than pick up a cab randomly on the street.
• Do not walk around wearing expensive-looking items.
• Carry around only enough cash for your expected purchases, and a credit card only if you expect to use it. Do not keep all of your money in one pocket. Distribute it in different pockets.
• Make a copy of the biographical page of your passport and carry this with you.
• Take extra care when taking out money from an ATM. Beware of suspicious characters lurking nearby. It is best to use the machines located inside banks, buildings, and shopping centers.
• Keep digital cameras in your pocket or in nondescript paper or plastic bags, and don't leave belongings unattended.

All TEN centers provide free WiFi.

All TEN centers provide bed linens and towels.

Suggestions of what to pack will be provided to you based on your choice of center and the time of year.