Held in Chicago, this annual conference hosted by the Points of Light institute offers attendees a chance to “learn, connect and be inspired” through a wide range of workshops, plenaries, and hands-on service projects. Discover new ideas for meaningful volunteer projects, learn techniques for engaging your friends and community members in service, and attend a Books and Brew book club session for an inspiring conversation led by today’s leading service and social change-focused authors.

This year’s featured speakers include, among many others, Interfaith Youth Core founder Eboo Patel, Larry Soler from the Partnership for a Healthier America, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Wendy Spencer, Paul Schmitz who is CEO of Public Allies, Michelle Nunn from the Points of Light Foundation Kevin Bacon – who, in addition to being a Golden Globe award-winning actor, is also the founder of the SixDegrees charitable network.

So pack your bags and head for the Windy City! Find out more about NCVS at the video below and via their Facebook page. Then register to claim your spot at the service conference of the year here.

But what are the goals of service-learning? Service-learning is, obviously, related to service, and dependent on it, but they are not the same thing. The goal of service is to benefit the person or community served. The goal of service-learning is, in addition to the service performed, some kind of learning from the experience. The person who is doing the service ought to undergo some growth or beneficial development. What can we say about that growth?

To begin, we want that growth to be more than the acquisition of knowledge or skills. It has to be thought about in terms of aspects of character, or “dispositions.” We may want people engaged in service-learning to know certain things, and to learn how to do certain things, but beyond that, we want them to become certain kinds of people.

What kinds of people? I tried to think about this question for the purpose of an article recently published* in a special issue of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service, using the biblical scholarship of James Kugel as a platform for my inquiry. (The entire issue was devoted to Jewish service-learning, and was created through a collaboration with Repair the World.) That may seem like an odd approach to the question, but Kugel has some interesting things to say about the idea of avodat Hashem, the service of God. Working through Kugel’s idea of avodat Hashem opened the door to thinking about service more generally.

Certain attributes emerge as particularly significant.

First, service-humility. These days, the world of non-profit management focuses not merely on doing good, but on solving problems. If we want to see significant and enduring change in the world, we have to develop strategies that take responsibility for that change and that have a reasonable shot at achieving it, in whole or in part. This makes sense. But on the other hand, this kind of gung-ho, problem-solving attitude can lead to a kind of arrogance about our roles. So, as a counter-balance, we might want to encourage a deep and abiding humility in the face of deep and abiding social problems, the kind of humility that we associate not with generating solutions but simply with doing God’s will in the world.

Second, service-discipline. We rightfully celebrate lives of moral heroism, extraordinary deeds of courage or sacrifice. Those examples give us language to articulate important values. But they may also distract us from other kinds of service, non-heroic, small-scale work in the world. This kind of service is not characterized by great feats of valor. It is characterized by fidelity, by showing up every day, by constancy and consistency.

A Hillel director recently told me, with pride, about the student who created a soup kitchen to meet a particular need, and the way that that student has been able to enlist other students in order to sustain the project. The Hillel director is not proud of him because of his heroism, or his social innovation. The student displayed initiative and leadership, but there is nothing particularly innovative about a soup kitchen, and no one imagines that this effort is going to solve the social problem of hunger! Instead, she is proud of him because of his commitment to service, to being at the soup kitchen every Wednesday night, to serving the homeless with respect and dignity. The virtue that he displays, and that we might want to cultivate in service-learning across the board, is what we might call “service-discipline.”

Finally, service-wisdom. The paradigmatic dilemma of service-learning is this: what is good for the learner is not necessarily good for the person or community served. In fact, the history of service is full of well-intentioned efforts to help that have gone awry. We have to acknowledge that the moral path is not always a clear one, that frequently our choices require not fortitude and heroism but careful calibration of the effects of our actions in order to choose the best way forward.

But this is not only a matter of the practical difficulties of doing good in the world. Engaging in service means, at one level, submission: we submit our will and our desires to the will of the Other or to the greater good. There is great nobility in this, and great satisfaction. But the submission of will must not entail a submission of intellect. Instead, paradoxically, we must simultaneously submit our will and retain our capacity for independent and critical judgment. For theists, we must simultaneously do what God wants us to do in the world, and always pursue our own understanding of what we believe God actually wants us to do in the world. We might call this capacity “service-wisdom,” the third dispositional goal of service-learning.

Are these three dispositions the only goals of service-learning? Surely not. But our service-learning projects and programs will benefit, I think, if we can think more clearly about our goals, and in particular, if we can think about those goals in dispositional terms. Then we can ask: In what ways are our service-learning programs designed to cultivate these dispositional goals, and how well are they achieving those goals, and how might they do that more effectively?

Jon A. Levisohn is Assistant Professor of Jewish Education at Brandeis University, and Assistant Academic Director of the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education.

* The PDF of this article is available for download from the Mandel Center’s website. This article is disseminated with the permission of the Jewish Communal Service Association, publishers of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service.

So far, Abby has written and self-published two books (check them out here) and raised nearly $3,000. Meanwhile, she’s also involved with a ton of other service and social justice activities, including being an active member of JChoice – a philanthropy networking site for teens. (And the organization that put us in touch with Abby.)

It’s hard to imagine that Abby has much free time on her hands – but she still managed to speak with Repair the World about her lifelong commitment to volunteering and tzedakah, what her books are all about, and how she connects service with her Jewish identity. We’re glad she did – read on…

Has service and volunteering always been an interest for you?
I have always loved participating in service activities. For my birthdays, I invite my guests to bring a check instead of a present and give the money raised to an organization. For my eighth birthday, I donated to the World Wildlife Fund, and I have also donated the money to an organization called Dogs for the Deaf that trains dogs to assist people with hearing disabilities. My school is also very involved with social justice activities. Around Purim we do something where we are given a certain amount of money and get to donate to the organization of our choice as a class. We then write about the organization and have classes dedicated to learning more about their work.

How did you first learn about JChoice?
My grandmother knows the person who runs the organization, so that’s how I first got involved. I set up an account with them, and my school is also involved with them. When someone has a bar or bat mitzvah, Jchoice sends them a gift card and the student can choose an organization to donate the money to. I really love that JChoice involves so many kids, and that kids can set up an account and get involved with organizations they like.

You’ve written some books and donated the profits to tzedakah – can you tell me more about that?
I’ve always loved to write, and when I was in 4th grade I was looking for something more original than just donating money for my birthday. So I wrote my first book, Very Berry. It’s about a 4th grade girl who has a dog that’s getting picked on – the girl is getting picked on to. The book is all about her adventures – it’s a chapter book with about 100 pages. My parents and I self published the book and decided to donate the $1,800 we raised through book sales to Reading is Fundamental. I love books and think that all kids should have access to them even if they don’t have a lot of money, so it seemed like an obvious choice.

You have another book as well, right?
This past November I finished up a second book called Starring Eliza. My family took a trip to California and I really love nature and hiking, so I decided to write about it. The book’s main character grew up in California and loves the Redwoods. So far I’ve raised about $1,200 for the Nature Conservancy. Right now I have a third book that I’m working on, but I’m not very far into it yet.

Do you connect your Jewish heritage with your love of service?
We learn a lot about Judaism and what it says about repairing the world at my school – social justice work is a big part of the curriculum, and in student government we have a social justice committee. So you could say that school has helped me think about these ideas. My school has supported the book projects too. We’re allowed to set up tables in my school’s lobby and sell to friends and the school community. We also have a book fair two times a year where they’ll let me sell my books.

How has JChoice supported your book projects?
I made a video two years ago with JChoice where they talk about how my book came to be and how to donate to Reading is Fundamental. So that has really helped to spread the word.

Find out more about Abby’s books on her website. And check out JChoice’s teen tzedakah network here.

• The Huffington Post shares five ways for people to help moms in need on Mothers Day and beyond.
• Yahoo News shared an inspiring story about a Yugoslavian janitor at Columbia University who just completed his bachelor’s degree there.
• Sustainablog says “no more excuses” for missing out on National Bike Month with a post on how to get your old clunker bike in fine working order.
• eJewishPhilanthropy writes about philanthropy and service beyond the tzedakah box.
• TheDoGooder website shares an inspiring video made by cancer patients who are redefining the word “strong.”
• The Jewish Week pays homage to “Where the Wild Things Are” author Maurice Sendak – a man who taught children (and adults) everywhere that sometimes the key to changing the world for the better includes making a little mischief.

The story: In this week’s parsha (Torah portion), Emor, ends with what guest writer, Sarah Mulhern, calls “one of the most famous and controversial pronouncements in the Torah.” She’s right – after all, doesn’t the following passage – even written in old fashioned-sounding language – sound pretty familiar?

“If anyone maims his fellow, as he has done so shall it be done to him; fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he inflicted an injury upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him.”

The takeaway: The “eye for an eye” concept brings up all sorts of questions about justice, revenge, and the correct action to take when you feel you’ve been wronged. On the one hand, as Sarah writes, “the idea of punishing assault by physically harming the perpetrator makes a certain kind of sense.” On the other hand, it’s totally disturbing – “many of us reject its suggestion of violence as an ethical tool for meting out justice,” she writes. It’s also risky – threatening to turn an isolated incident into a cycle of retaliation.

The “to-do”: Sarah suggests that, done correctly, we have the opportunity to fight violence with education and healing. In our own lives, that may mean speaking with someone who has hurt you instead of hurting them back. In the larger world, it may mean supporting an organization that works to build meaningful dialogue in conflicted areas helping to curb the cycle of violence.

Read the full Torah commentary, on which this excerpt is based, over at AJWS’ website. And for more great texts, commentary and Jewish learning resources on social justice, check out the On 1 Foot database.

But while traditional gifts are lovely and thoughtful, there’s another way to show Mom you care: share your love with service. Moms give so much of themselves to their kids – honor that by taking the opportunity to give back to the world. Here are some ideas to help you make this the best Mother’s Day yet:

• Volunteer together. Spend the day working together at a local soup kitchen or women and children’s shelter, or sharing another volunteer activity. You’ll have a chance to bond, while making your community stronger.
• Volunteer in her honor. Book mom a day at the spa and volunteer in her honor instead!
• Make a donation to cause she loves. Does your mom have a favorite organization or charity? Or an issue she’s passionate about? Let her know you care by making a donation in her name.
• Care for Mother Earth. Make a shared green commitment together, volunteer at a local park, plant a tree or your garden – show mom love by showing Mother Earth some love.
• Baking for Good Order mom cookies, brownies or treats from this awesome bakery and 15% of the proceeds will go to a charity of your choice. Order today and they can still ship to mom in time for Sunday.

Bonus video: Jewish tradition really reveres its moms – just take a listen to this old school song, “My Yiddishe Mama,” sung by Yiddish performer Eleanor Reissa. Then let us know how you plan to make mom feel special this Mother’s Day by tweeting us at @repairtheworld.

Now, we’re excited to share the highlights from just some of the many amazing service projects that went down during J-Serve. One act of service is a reason to celebrate. But when you multiply that act of service by 10,000, you add up to something truly meaningful. Take a look at what J-Serve teens did to help their local communities while making a big global impact:

Toronto, Canada
WHAT THEY DID: 500 Jewish teens participated in 16 different service opportunities including (among other things): tree-planting in Toronto city parks, packaging books for a literacy program, preparing clothes for distribution at a local clothing bank, participating in a political letter-writing workshop, planting flowers at a Jewish residential program, assembling school supply kits for families in need with Ve’ahavta, and organizing props in a theatre warehouse.

Whippany, New Jersey
WHAT THEY DID: 275 teens from 6th through 12th grade, and from across the denominational spectrum, came together for a variety of service projects including: making nearly 1,200 sandwiches for local homeless shelters, visiting with adults who have cerebral palsy, and making terrariums with senior citizens.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WHAT THEY DID: Nearly 250 teens from throughout the Pittsburgh region donated 625 combined volunteer hours planting trees and weeding gardens in honor of Earth Day (which this year fell on the same day as J-Serve), constructing a picket fence to line a garden, and sorting through bike wheels and other donated gears and parts at a local bicycle shop.

East Bay, California
WHAT THEY DID: Teen volunteers from across the East Bay spent the day volunteering and digging in the dirt. Some checked out the urban farm over at Repair the World grantee-partner Urban Adamah, while others worked in a garden with senior citizens at senior residence.

Kharkov, Ukraine
WHAT THEY DID: Helping to round out the “international” aspect of J-Serve, 20 teens in the Ukraine spent the morning volunteering – particularly cleaning out a local school yard of leaves, dirt, trash and other debris – and the afternoon discussing leadership and celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Mazel tov to everyone who made J-Serve 2012 a success! And remember, it’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s J-Serve! Find out more about how you can get involved here.

National Teacher Day was founded in 1980 to honor the crucial role teachers play in providing a quality education for their students. Teaching a roomful of kids is hard work, and many teachers go above and beyond to make sure their students get the best. Meanwhile, Judaism deeply honors the value of education – in fact, passing lessons and wisdom onto future generations is one of the central aspects of the tradition!

So take today as an opportunity to celebrate education by honoring the teachers that made a difference in your life. Here are some ways to let your teacher (or teachers) know how much you appreciate them!

• Make a Video: The National Education Association and Parenting magazine have teamed up to help you make your teacher’s day by uploading a video tribute to them online. Check out the videos already posted to get ideas.
• #ThankaTeacher: Tweet your appreciation for all that good learnin’ – just use the #thankateacher hashtag.
• Israel Teaching Fellows: Thank your teachers by becoming one yourself! College grads can apply to teach English while helping to close the achievement gap in Israel. Apply here to be a 2012-2013 fellow.
• The Jewish Education Project: This org’s Young Pioneer Awards honors superstar Jewish educators who are making a difference. The deadline to nominate a Young Pioneer is closed for this year, but check out the winners on June 4th!
• One Laptop Per Child: Support all kids’ right to education by ensuring that students across the world have access to the technology they need to learn.

How are you celebrating National Teacher Day? Let us know below or by tweeting @repairtheworld.

• Congratulations! New adventures ahead: change your sheets, not your values.
• Identify the “why” of your life, not just the “what” and the “how”. Ask yourself, why am I here and what can I contribute?
• Think of every opportunity as a new beginning.
• The secret to surviving the real world is passion for your work, a best friend, and lots of chocolate.
• Find the thing you care most about changing in the world, and get to work.
• Sempre amor.
• Do what you want. Want what you do. Do a lot. Do good. Do it now.
• Life is a long arduous journey. Pack a lot of snacks to eat along the way.
• Get a job! But make it a meaningful one. It won’t be your first – or your last.
• ‘If you don’t know where you’re going (ethically, spiritually, physically etc.), you’ll end up somewhere else.’ Y. Berra
• Smile. People notice.
• Strive to learn something new every day and to laugh as often as you can.
• Whatever you do will impact the world. Make sure to do it for the better, and without wasting paper.
• Worry more about what you’re doing now than about where you’ll be in five years.
• All things are temporary.
• Care about what’s close to you and the rest will follow
• GO FORTH AND REPAIR!

What  do YOU wish for the Class of 2012? Send us your bits of wisdom for our latest grads in the form below or tweet us at #RepairGrads12 by May 31. Most ReTweeted wishes are eligible to win some great prizes from Repair the World!

Need some inspiration? Check out these inspiring commencement speeches mentioned here.

The story: In this week’s double parsha (Torah portion), Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, God shares a powerful statement with Moses. God says, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: “You shall be holy, for I – Adonai your God — am holy.” God follows this statement with a whole bunch of laws on sacrificial worship, respecting elders and – interestingly – how to treat the poor. Specifically, God commands two things:

1. “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field…you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.”
2. With regards to legal justice, “You shall not render an unfair legal decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich.”

The takeaway: What does it mean that God included two statements about interactions with poor people in this larger list of holy laws? One idea it suggests is that no society can be truly “holy” without creating a space for dignity and justice for that society’s most vulnerable people. It is not enough that we just provide the less fortunate with opportunities to provide for their basic needs. We must also ensure that those people have access to the same freedoms and possibilities as every other member of society.

The “to-do”: When and wherever you can, strive for holiness by working towards providing direct aid and relief to those who need it, and working to impact long-term and systemic justice issues. Not sure where to start? Check out AJWS’ giving plan, which lets you create a personalized tzedakah plan to balance your priorities and make the most of whatever you have to give.

Read the full Torah commentary, on which this excerpt is based, over at AJWS’ website. And for more great texts, commentary and Jewish learning resources on social justice, check out the On 1 Foot database.