Why Travel Abroad To Help Repair The World

“Why would anyone need to go abroad to help repair the world when there is plenty to do back home?”

I’m in New York to hang out with Justifi alumni and have noticed that there are more homeless people than ever before. I googled it and found that 45.6% of New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet. There are hidden slums around the city where families share one room apartments with makeshift walls to separate them from their neighbors. 

Latest statistics show that between 20 and 60 thousand people are trafficked into the USA every year from abroad. Add to that the thousands of people trafficked within the United States and you are faced with a serious and devastating issue. 

Why would anyone need to go abroad to help repair the world when there is plenty to do back home?

“It’s not that people don’t care about others, nor that they lack the desire to help others, it’s just that there are so many pressures of keeping up with ourselves and the society around us, pressures from outside and inside of us, that we don’t have enough time and energy to help ourselves, let alone other people. ”

Talking to my friends in New York, a general pattern has started to emerge. People here are so career driven that they are spending most of their day studying, working, interviewing, hustling and bustling. After work there are other important things that must be done. Dating for a start. Manhattan, with its population of 1.62 million people can be the loneliest place on earth. People need to go out to meet someone in a bar, at an event, through friends, J-date or J-swipe.  Then there’s health to think about. Many people manage to get to the gym a few times a week or go for a run in the park. By the time people get home they are usually too tired to do anything apart from collapse on the couch, maybe watch a show and go to bed. 
When is there time, space, and opportunity to think about changing the world?  It’s not that people don’t care about others, nor that they lack the desire to help others, it’s just that there are so many pressures of keeping up with ourselves and the society around us, pressures from outside and inside of us, that we don’t have enough time and energy to help ourselves, let alone other people. 

That’s where travel comes in. Being abroad, far from our issues and pressures and responsibilities, away from our everyday routine and struggle to make it gives us that chance to step outside of ourselves, to go beyond ourselves into a space where we can gain a new perspective on life and the world around us. It gives us a chance to take stock, to refresh, to re-evaluate things, to see what is real and important, meaningful and fulfilling in life. It gives us a chance to look up from life and take a deep breath, see those around us, see what they need, see how being there for them enhances the lives of all involved. 

It’s with this new perspective that people can return from their trip, back into the grind, but now a little more aware, inspired and empowered to do things in their own community that can make a big difference in the lives of those around them. 

Who Comes On A Justifi Trip?

Imagine packing your bags, heading to the airport, and boarding your plane to another continent for a 7-10 day adventure. For some Justifi participants this is exciting, for others it could be intimidating! 

Thankfully, when you travel with Justifi, you're not alone. Our team has a combined 30+ years of experience traveling and running programs for Jewish students and young professionals. Plus, you will be meeting an inspired crew of like-minded friends on the ground to join you in your adventure. 

Who can you expect to meet on your program? Every group is a unique mix. Most participants join to have an incredible experience, make a meaningful impact, and enjoy a great time with fun peers. They come from different Jewish backgrounds, from non-affiliated to orthodox, and most somewhere in between. We don't judge, and we go the extra mile to make sure all are welcome (that means strictly Kosher food and Shabbat-friendly programming so observant participants can eat and engage fully, too).

Our group size is generally between 8-18 participants. We've had students in their last years of college or grad school, professionals launching their careers, established entrepreneurs looking for inspiration, and so many more. Basically, we seek quality participants from diverse backgrounds who are driven, passionate, and play well with others :)

Here's What Our Recent Alumni Are Up To:

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Bianca L: An accomplished young professional and passionate traveller, Bianca joined us first as a participant in Thailand in 2012 then returned as an assistant staff member in 2013. When she's not crushing it at Google, she's either traveling with us or putting her recently-earned PADI scuba certification to good use in some other paradise you've always dreamed of visiting.

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Micahel P: When he's not traveling with us to Thailand or Nicaragua, Michael spends his time working as a law clerk in Jersey City. He's organized numerous events for our New York based alumni (now over 150 strong and growing), including Shabbat dinners, volunteer events, and an outing to his recent performance at a Jewish Community Theatre. See his featurette on our blog here. 

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Tara K: Tara made time for her Justifi trip in between graduating college in Brooklyn and before going to seminary in Jerusalem. Quite literally, she booked her itinerary from New York - Bangkok - Tel Aviv! 

Tara was able to use her passion for art, yoga, and childhood education to create some incredible activities with the at-risk children we worked with. 

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Lior O:  Hailing from Toronto, Lior is a successful internet entrepreneur who started his online marketing consulting company while still in college (and ran his company remotely during 2 trips with us last Summer).

Lior's two Justifi trips allowed him to experience a new challenge, working alongside local non-profits in rural communities and going back to 'work' energized for the next adventure!

Inspired To Join Our Crew?

Here's the link where you can submit your application. If approved, you'll gain access to any Justifi trip we run, now or in the future, to any destination we visit.

You'll then have the chance to connect with our small-but-dedicated team of travel professionals. They can help answer any questions you have and help you join the trip that's right for you!

Where We Go & What We Do

We are a small not-for-profit Jewish organization that launched in 2009 for idealistic Jewish students and professionals who wanted not just to see the world, but make an impact while doing so. Since then, our programs have attracted thousands of applicants from around the world who have been united around the common values of curiosity, contribution, passion, and a quest for discovery.

Our programs aren't for everybody. Whether it's exploring the issue of human trafficking near the red-light district of Bangkok or rappelling down a 40-meter waterfall, our trips may push you outside your comfort zone. You'll have an incredible experience in a supportive environment of like-minded people, but expect to go on a journey - reaching in and reaching out - to change the way you look at the world and making a difference where you can.

Take a look at our destination pages. They'll give you an inside-peek at what you'll experience when you choose to travel with us. If you're inspired to experience the world, leave your meaningful impact, and make friends for life, please join us!

He Couldn't Believe His Eyes...

Two years after his Justifi trip to Thailand, Josh came back as a madrich (leader) and couldn’t believe his eyes.

When he left Tom Karen’s center in the small village of Ban Huay Sak one hour north of Chiang Rai, there was one classroom which could hold about 20 kids, an outhouse for a toilet (that means a very deep hole dug into the ground, surrounded by a small wooden hut) and a few books, toys and one 1970’s Yamaha kids keyboard for the kids to play with.  

On his return, there was a second classroom full of books and maps and educational posters, musical instruments and art supplies, there was a restroom building with three toilets and a shower, there was the foundation for a new classroom, and the walls were covered in pictures of the summer camps and weekly lessons that Tom’s center now provides.

Tom Karen himself cannot believe what has taken place in such a short time.

“Before I met Jamie and Justifi, I was just a tour guide trying to find work showing foreigners around Northern Thailand.  Now I am getting to live my dream, helping my community to get educated, running English, Chinese, math and science workshops, working to prevent the our children from getting trafficked to bars in Bangkok and neighboring countries, creating programs for the elderly and sponsoring orphans in their education through the support of monthly donations from Justifi alumni.  On top of that my wife is now on the local council representing women’s rights and I have gone back to university at 42 years of age to get a degree in English!”

People often challenge us saying ‘how much difference can a short term volunteer trip make?  Really, you can’t be doing much good for the locals.’

At which point I smile patiently, offer them a drink, and spend the next half an hour filling then in on the facts on the ground.  Having been back to Thailand year after year, and experiencing it with my own eyes, I can inform them that although one group may just come in and leave having helped the local builders (who wouldn’t have had work if we weren’t there) lay the foundations of a classroom, or having painted some chairs or taught an English class which may not feel like a big deal at the time, when taken as part of a much larger ongoing project each bucket of concrete, each new English phrase learnt, eachsmile shared between volunteer and school kid, each brick in the wall helps build a strong, stable and self-sustainable edifice which is making a huge difference in many people’s lives.

You see, a brick on its own may indeed not be much use, but when it becomes part of a wall, when one person becomes part of a team which goes back to the same villages, the same schools year after year, a significant impact is made on the lives of those who stand to benefit most, which in turns effects the lives of their children and children’s children for many years to come.