Being Jewish
Pen Pals Discover Jewish Life Around the Globe
Madison Jackson knew she’d struck a chord when she surveyed participants in her Global Jewish Pen Pal program. “A surprising number said that they’d actually found it by Googling ‘Jewish pen pal program,’ ” marveled Jackson, 23, who launched the venture from her Cleveland home last April, at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.
The 2019 SUNY Binghamton graduate was inspired by contrasting her positive overseas experiences—as an American Jewish Committee fellow in Warsaw and attending an international Jewish camp in Hungary—with the negative reactions she received from Americans friends. “They questioned why I’d go to places they associated with death and anti-Semitism,” recalled Jackson. “Many Jews in North America don’t understand what Jewish life is like in other countries.”
Through word of mouth and social media, she has recruited more than 500 Jews, aged 7 to 83; roughly half are North Americans, with the rest from 50 countries across every continent except Antarctica. Jackson pairs correspondents of similar age who choose between email, video chat or old-fashioned mail to discuss their local Jewish lives and practices. Most communicate in English, although Jackson recently paired boys, an 8-year-old in the Golan Heights and a 7-year-old in Rome, who write letters in Hebrew.
“Jewish outreach typically connects North Americans and Israelis, but not the rest of the Diaspora, and I wanted to fill that gap,” noted Jackson. (Her pandemic timing also met a need: “People were looking for others to talk to.”) Jackson suggests conversation topics on Facebook and Instagram, and hosts a show, “The Pen Pal Perspective,” on the Jewish internet channel Radio Melitz. Now Jackson, who recently secured a Young Leadership grant from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, is expanding the program to classroom exchanges. More than a dozen schools in the United States, Israel, Australia, Switzerland and the Czech Republic have signed up so far.
Most gratifying, Jackson said, is watching relationships blossom. After video chatting for six months, two 30-something women, Camila Baerwald of Santiago, Chile, and Dina Margelovich of New York, N.Y., met to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in Manhattan in September.
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Lorna J Woolsey says
This program may be limited to b young people but I’m wondering if there is any exchange program for seniors. I’m a 77 year old woman and would like to communicate with a similar age person, nsn or woman. Thank you
Susan says
I read more about the program on this page and they do match people of similar ages actually. You should sign up:
https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/sign-up-to-participate-in-the-global-jewish-pen-pal-program/
Richard Bird says
I’m Maria Kovacs. I live in Hungary and have been married to my utterly adorable husband for 30 years. I’m British born but now I am a Hungarian citizen.
Hungary is like a cross between Germany and Italy. It’s so very very very peaceful and quiet. We can hear all the boars, frogs, toads, birds, foxes, badgers etc.
Joseph Griso says
I’m looking for a Jewish female penpal 18-56 for correspondence I’m joegriso apt.207a151chambersbridgeave brickn.j. 08723 pls write I love getting letters
Joseph Griso says
Im looking for Jewish female penpàl 18-56 yrs old my name is joegrisoapt207a151chambersbridgerdbrickn.j.08723 pls write I love mail I’m honest empathetic kind and I enjoy music take care
Michaela F says
My name is Michaela. I live in America and am looking for a Jewish pen pal. I’m interested in learning Jewish history from the perspective of someone who lives and breathes the culture. I was born a creole/black Catholic and switched to plain Christianity. Nothing really fits. I’ve been doing a deep dive in Jewish culture and have had my heart strings pulled with watching documentary’s about the war in 1945. I hope this doesn’t come off as ignorant or rude. I just want to learn what is on the other side and what our differences are. Someone older would be great but can always relate to someone younger
James S Mager says
I would absolutely love to have a penpal from Israel. I’d love to learn about their culture and support them. But the only results from Internet searches are basically hook-up sites. I’m definitely not looking for that. I’d love to make friends with both males and females. I want to learn about your culture and religious beliefs.