One Million Acts of Jewish Service Reached Four Years Ahead of Schedule

Repair the World, a national Jewish nonprofit that mobilizes communities to take action to pursue a just world, today celebrated reaching one million acts of service and learning since 2020 — achieving an ambitious goal four years ahead of schedule and demonstrating the growing power of Jewish service to bring people together, address pressing needs, and create meaningful connections to Jewish life.

“When the world feels broken, service is how young Jews stay hopeful,” said Cindy Greenberg, CEO of Repair the World. “We saw it during COVID. We saw it after Oct. 7. Again and again, our participants found purpose and community by supporting their neighbors and living out their Jewish values. We reached one million acts of service and learning because this generation wants to be loud and proud about their Judaism and their commitment to making the world a better place.”

The milestone reflects the growth of the Jewish service movement over the last six years, powered by hundreds of thousands of participants alongside community organizations, Jewish institutions, philanthropic partners, volunteers, and leaders who make service an increasingly central part of Jewish life to inspire thriving Jewish communities. Together, they have shown that Jewish service can work at scale, providing people opportunities to put Jewish values into action while meeting real needs in their communities.

Repair the World set the one-million goal in 2019 as part of an ambitious effort to dramatically expand the reach and impact of meaningful Jewish service, grounded in learning, to address community needs. The increase in demand for Jewish service experiences reflects data that shows young adults in particular want opportunities to make a difference. At a time when many feel overwhelmed by the challenges facing their communities and the world, service creates a sense of purpose, hope, and agency; fosters relationships across differences; and provides a meaningful way to express and deepen Jewish identities.

“Repair set a bold, ambitious goal to reach one million acts of service and learning in ten years, and to not only achieve this but achieve it four years early demonstrates that Jewish service is a growing, thriving movement,” said Anna Kovinsky, Repair the World’s board chair. “But what makes this accomplishment truly significant is that each act represents a meaningful change in a person’s life that has enabled deeper connection to their neighbors, their Jewish identity, and their Jewish community.”

Added Greenberg, “One million is a lot of impact. I’m so proud of the scale we’ve achieved. But what makes me proudest is what’s inside each of those acts. Every one combines meaningful Jewish learning, service that meets pressing needs in the community, and authentic relationships with our neighbors who aren’t Jewish. Our work is deeply particular, grounded in Jewish text that shapes how we serve and learn. And it’s deeply universal, done in partnership with the communities around us.”

Repair the World marked the milestone in Atlanta on Oct. 13-14, bringing together staff, board members, lay leaders, supporters, volunteers and community partners from across the country, and the celebration will continue through the spring, culminating in the Service Matters Summit on April 1 in New York. The gathering in Atlanta embodied the spirit behind the milestone and a commitment to continued growth, depth, and impact, bringing more than 80 stakeholders together for a citywide day of service alongside longtime Atlanta partners supporting food insecure community members, young people experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.