Jerusalem's Tikkun Chozer volunteers provide free professional services - opinion

Between Passover and Shavuot, the period in which we now find ourselves, in synagogues throughout the world, it is customary to read on Shabbat The Ethics of Our Fathers, or Pirkei Avot as it is called in Hebrew. 

It opens with the following lines: “The world stands on three things: Torah, service of God, and acts of kindness…” In the spirit of our age, it was the perfect timing to launch a volunteering project called Tikkun Chozer in Jerusalem, which means “fixing again and again.”

New in town

The “new kid on the block” was Tikkun Chozer, an initiative that won the hearts of many in Jerusalem.

This volunteering project was the brainchild of Mali Avital, a multi-talented serial entrepreneur and resident of Jerusalem. For years, she has dreamed of bringing together seamstresses, handymen, and other professionals to provide their services to the community, free of charge. These volunteers bring their own expertise and equipment, such as sewing machines and repair tools. 

After a lengthy search, Avital found the ideal partner to host the project – Beit Yehudit, the International Cultural Center for Youth, known as "the German Colony’s community center."

Young and old have been flocking to Tikkun Chozer to benefit from the skills and expertise of the seamstresses, the handymen, the financial consultant, and the health expert. A small repair on a garment can be not only very expensive these days but also very time-consuming. 

The backgrounds of these volunteers are very impressive. At the sewing machine, one can find a retired Yad Vashem historian helping a young man fix his torn pants. 

Michael, a new immigrant from Holland, who had previously worked as a mechanic, is immaculately polishing silverware, a family tradition he learned from early childhood. Three times a week, Michael also helps pick fruit in Otef Aza, the Gaza border areas. Assisting him to polish silverware is another Dutch new immigrant, Marcella, a family therapist, who expresses how rewarding it is for them to help others.

Lisa, an older elementary school teacher, welcomes people at The Waiting Station. There, people are invited to paint pottery and engage in various creative activities while they wait for their beverages at the coffee station. People exchange contact information while creating a vibrant community.

The icing on the cake is Mazal, a blind massage therapist who is the first to be booked.

Acts of kindness

Life in Israel is very challenging, especially during wartime, and it was extremely uplifting to watch these acts of selfless kindness.

I have lived in northern and southern Europe, as well as in the US, but nowhere else have I encountered such a spirit of mutual responsibility. Tikkun olam, according to Jewish tradition, strives to make the world a better place, fixing it one step at a time. Watching this dedicated team of volunteers, I was reminded of Churchill’s words: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”■

Shoshana Tita is a journalist, scholar, writer, and international teacher based in the US, Spain, and Israel.