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FAQ's
1.
Where do JHI missions go?
Currently,
JHI sites include Kishinev, Moldova; Odessa, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus;
Riga, Latvia; and Kiev, Ukraine
2. How do I prepare for a mission?
As
soon as you are confirmed on a mission you will receive a detailed
packet with the materials required to complete the following tasks.
- Get your
visa
- Buy your
ticket
- Prepare
lectures and submit detailed abstracts according to your site
requirements
- Connect
with past mission participants (list is provided in your packet)
- JHI staff
is always available. You should be totally comfortable that you
always have a resource and backup team.
3.
What will I do on a mission?
- Deliver lectures and seminars
- Home visits
- Second opinion consultations
- Visits to local medical institutions
- Evaluate community needs and make recommendations for future
missions
- Daily meetings with the entire JHI team in order to summarize
and plan for future programming
- Experience Jewish life and Jewish Renaissance with the community
- Experience local cultural activities
4.
What if I don't speak Russian?
5.
How many Lectures and/or Seminars will I need to prepare?
The seminars that you will be presenting are an integral
part of your mission. Most healthcare professionals are asked to
give 2-5 lectures. Remember that a translator will be translating
your lecture as you give it, so you will only be able to present
about 45-60 minutes worth of materials during a 90-minute lecture.
We will give you a list of suggested topics provided by the site,
and also ask you to proposed topics that you would like to lecture
on. At most sites, there are slide projectors, overhead projectors
and PowerPoint projectors. You will be asked beforehand what equipment
you will need for your lectures.
6. Who will I be lecturing to?
You
will be lecturing to small and large groups of Hessed (Jewish Welfare
Organization) homecare workers, doctors, nurses, and/or medical
students. The homecare workers are volunteers or low-paid workers
with varying degrees of medical background and no medical authority.
They are not trained or authorized to make any medical decisions
or diagnoses, however, they do report any medical problems that
they observe to the homecare coordinator in the Hesed. They visit
homebound Hesed clients, making both medical and social visits that
include help with food-preparation and basic hygiene. Most of the
homebound clients are elderly, and have some physical disability
that makes it difficult for them to leave their homes. Some of the
clients also suffer from mental disabilities. Lectures to these
workers are on a basic level, and provide information on how these
workers can help improve the quality of life of the homebound.
Lectures to
the Jewish doctors and doctors in the general community are at a
higher and more sophisticated level. These are highly trained professionals
who are considered experts in their fields. You might lecture at
a state hospital to physicians, department heads, Academy professors
and other medical staff in your specialty. These lectures serve
as advanced training to practicing physicians (ie: continuing medical
education) and therefore lectures should be at an advanced level.
You will be provided with topics requested by the local medical
community and will provide a detailed summary of the content of
each lecture. The
level of training of nurses varies from site to site. In most cases,
nurses have two years of post-secondary training. It is best to
speak with past JHI participants to gauge the level of lecture you
will need to prepare (you will receive contact information for past
participants).
7. How many patients will I treat each day?
JHI
focuses on training and educating the healthcare professionals in
our host communities. We believe that the long-term impact of establishing
a stronger medical infrastructure in the community is much greater
than treating individual patients. However, all missions include
home visit and second opinion consultations, so you will interact
with local patients. These activities give you insight into medical
infrastructure and are not designed with a treatment approach.
8. How should I dress?
Dress
on missions is comfortable, yet professional. Men should take one
or two ties; you will not need to wear them every day. Women can
wear pants, but should have at least one dress or skirt. A white
coat is recommended.
9. Do you have to be Jewish to go on a JHI mission?
Mission
participation priority is given to volunteers who are affiliated
with their Jewish Federations. If we can not fill the space with
a Federation member, we then contact people in our general database
should a mission space be available in a particular specialty.
10. I'm not very religious. Will religion be "forced"
on me?
No,
you will have an opportunity to experience the Jewish Renaissance
taking place in the community but no formal ritual observance is
required
or expected.
11. Will I be able to go to synagogue on Shabbat?
All
of our programs include participation in a Kabbalat Shabbat service
with the community and dinner on Friday night. Shabbat services
on Saturday morning are available for those who choose to attend.
12. Will I be able to find kosher food?
Some sites are
able to provide kosher food. Those that can not provide kosher food
are able to serve a vegetarian menu.
13. What are the living conditions like in Eastern Europe/ former
Soviet Union? Will we have running water? Electricity? Phone? Computer
access?
You
will be staying in a moderate "tourist class" hotel (two
or three stars) with your fellow mission participants. You will
most likely be sharing a room. Although not luxurious, these hotels
do provide the basics: running water, electricity, heat and phone.
Many cities have Internet cafes, where, for a small fee, you can
use a computer with Internet access.
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