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efore making aliyah and serving in the IDF, David Kramer was the head advisor for the Department of Informal Jewish Education for David Kramer 2010 CEO and Founder, NU Campaign the South African Jewish Board of Education and founder of the Jerusalem www.nucampaign.org Israel Information Department for the South African Zionist Federation. In Israel, David worked for the Jewish Agency and the World Union of Jewish Students until he decided to establish the NU Campaign— an Israeli social awareness clothing brand and organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding for important Israeli causes and charitable organizations. David is married to Tova and they live in Jerusalem with their three children.
NU Campaign aims to connect people worldwide to take action for important Israeli charitable causes. In Israel today, there are 26,000 nonprofit organizations and a tremendous movement for the betterment of our world. Not many people are aware of this side of Israel: a country whose citizens deeply care for global humanity and are willing to make sacrifices for its improvement. Far more than selling fancy designs on cotton, NU is about education and awareness. By printing the stories on the inside of every NU t-shirt, opposite the heart, we want to connect people to the human story behind our featured causes. We hope that wearers will internalize the message and be inspired to make a difference.
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Today one in three Israeli children live in poverty. One billion Africans live without access to electricity and running water. One in 100 children worldwide are born with a heart defect and most have limited access to medical help. Last year’s massive earthquake in Haiti left one million people without homes, who remain homeless one year later. The list goes on. Our work is clearly cut out for us.
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I am a strong believer in the power of small actions. For every NU shirt purchased, we donate up to 40% of profits to the charitable organization behind the cause, and we are working to increase that number to 100% through strategic partners. By wearing the shirt, you are empowered to carry the message wherever you go and spread the story. By lighting small sparks, one wearer at a time, we aim to create a global community of change.
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Bailie Aaron 2010 Boston Founder and Board Chair, Venturing Out www.venturingout.org
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aillie Aaron is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard University, where she discovered her passion for identifying and reducing inequalities in the criminal justice system. In 2007, while working at Harvard’s Program in Criminal Justice, Baillie started volunteering at a county prison. Through this experience, she realized that many inmates exhibited an untapped, above-average talent for business and could benefit from formal business classes. In response, Baillie developed Venturing Out (formerly Entrepreneurship 101), a nonprofit organization teaching entrepreneurship courses to incarcerated and court-involved individuals to enable students to reach their entrepreneurial potentials.
An individual trying to impact his or her community can only do so much alone. My goal as a social entrepreneur is to create opportunities for people interested in social action to collectively make a difference. Organizations like Venturing Out connect people who have a passion for a particular cause with relevant positions, allowing them to give back in a meaningful, high-impact way.
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issue thirteen 2011
It is important for every generation to give back to the community. Nobody achieves success by himself or herself; instead, we rely on support from other people to help us reach our goals. According to the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, it is our responsibility to engage in social action to improve societal welfare; it is our obligation to use the resources, knowledge, and skills gained through our experiences to help other people in our communities achieve their dreams as well. Direct involvement with community-based social justice programs is one way for members of our generation to do that.
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Nonprofit organizations, including Venturing Out, regularly advertise through websites like Idealist.com or Craigslist.com as well as through university career centers. If you are interested in a cause, contact an organization with a related mission to ask about opportunities, or check out websites of foundations and funders with similar interests to see which projects they are involved with. It’s a great way to network with likeminded people! Keep in mind that social justice organizations are often underfunded and overwhelmed, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from them right away. Be persistent, and help them find you the perfect opportunity to get involved.
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