The theme for this year’s week-long celebration is Celebrate Service, so we are shining the light on our wonderful HIAS volunteers.

David Bliss, HIAS Refugee Resettlement Volunteer

What inspired you to volunteer?

My inspiration to volunteer throughout my life has come from a belief that I can make the lives of other people better by sharing my expertise, experience and friendship. I truly enjoy making an impact and enjoying the fruits of other people's success. Most importantly, I benefit from the relationships that I have made with so many people over the years. Quite simply, my life has been enriched in countless ways by those people with whom I have had the pleasure of meeting.

What do you enjoy about volunteering with HIAS?

Volunteering with HIAS has been pure joy because I have been given the opportunity to meet immigrants from all over the world who are so eager to learn. For them, becoming a US citizen is of vital importance. HIAS has allowed me to teach and be creative in my own way which makes my job so rewarding. The other factor is that my history with HIAS has come full circle. Thirty-five years ago, I worked with HIAS/JCFS as an administrator in the Soviet Jewish Resettlement program. I feel like l have come home.

Can you share a meaningful moment you had while volunteering?

I want to tell you about a meaningful volunteer moment: I was volunteering with the Hands of Peace organization during the Summer of 2016. At the time I was housing two 17-year-old boys from Israel-one Palestinian and one Israeli. One evening the boys had gotten into a very heated argument after an evening program. After the program I made the decision to not go home but to drive to the Wilmette beach and let tempers subside. The three of us just sat quietly for what seemed to be an eternity. I was in the middle. We looked out at the lake and didn't speak a word until a literal hand of peace reached over me from the Palestinian teen. They shook hands, we hugged.

Did you learn anything while volunteering?

The lesson of volunteering is this: Change and making a difference doesn't require a
grand gesture. It just requires the willingness to engage.

Where are you from and what is your occupation?

I grew up on the great Southside of Chicago and moved to Wilmette in 1984. I will always be a Southsider. Once upon a time, I worked as a hospital administrator after a career as a social worker. I am currently retired.

Judy Yublosky, HIAS Citizenship Teacher

What inspired you to volunteer?

I have volunteered for various groups all my life. One day I saw a group of people gathering at the synagogue I belonged to. I found out that they were a class of immigrants learning what they needed to know to pass their citizenship interview. It looked very interesting, and I explored it further. Fast forward 25 years and here we are today.... still volunteering with HIAS and loving every moment!!!

What do you enjoy about volunteering with HIAS?

I love it when a student who has had a hard time learning English, along with all the requirements of becoming a citizen, finally is ready for their interview and passes it.

Can you share a meaningful moment you had while volunteering?

All moments are meaningful, but the one that sticks out the most is a student that had already not passed the interview twice and everyone had more or less given up on him, including the student himself. I was determined that he was going to pass, even though he was not confident in himself. I worked with him for nine months until he had his next interview and he passed!

Did you learn anything while volunteering?
I learned that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. My students are mostly senior adults, and we all know how hard it is for older adults to learn new material. My students feel that it is important for them to become citizens. The reasons they do this is various, but they all are driven to achieve their goal of citizenship. No one can automatically grant them citizenship so they must work very hard and use the tools I give them to attain their goal.

Where are you from and what is your occupation?

I am from Buffalo Grove, and I recently retired from my Party Planning business. My husband, Michael, and I have been helping senior adults with any technical issues they might have pertaining to phone or internet problems for many years. I am very proud of the weekly class that we have with Senior Planet/AARP where seniors discuss issues they might be having, and we solve them as a group.

What are your challenges?

My biggest challenge is having a wide range or English-speaking abilities in the one class. Usually, one person will step up and be the mentor for the one(s) that are having a hard time understanding. It is a beautiful thing that just happens naturally. I love when this happens, and it is beautiful to behold!