Volunteer Sarapage Podolsky has been instrumental in helping Kulanu\u2019s communities and their members gain technological skills that have connected them to the rest of the world. Read how Sarapage has made a difference! <\/i><\/p>\nSarapage Podolsky, Kulanu\u2019s technology director<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Sarapage Podolsky first discovered Kulanu when her family was looking to donate Judaica items that had belonged to her grand-uncle when he passed away. The family wanted to make sure that his tefillin, tallit, and other pieces would be put to good use, and Kulanu found them a new home in an isolated community in El Salvador. Sarapage started to donate to Kulanu after this first encounter but wanted to find a way to contribute on a more personal level. In 2014, she wrote to Harriet Bograd, president of Kulanu, from her home in Israel and asked about volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n
When Harriet discovered Sarapage\u2019s technical expertise\u2014she holds a degree in electrical engineering and worked in the hi-tech industry\u2014a perfect match was made that would change the way Kulanu communities functioned from then on. Sarapage was excited to find a way to take her skills to communities around the world, wherein many of the Jewish communities that Kulanu supports there are great needs for better technology.<\/p>\n
Sarapage writes: \u201cFor many of the Kulanu communities, internet access has been very limited; individuals had to travel long distances to use internet caf\u00e9s for a few minutes. It has been my privilege to work with many of the communities to determine their technical needs and offer solutions. Some communities need devices with large screens that everybody can gather around for a Skype lesson with a rabbi. Other communities need a device that is as small as possible so that it can be carried to a charging location. Many of the communities have unreliable power, so battery life is of utmost importance. In some cases, the internet will be used by one device in the community, and in other communities, everybody will share from one wifi hotspot. I consider these factors, and many others, each time I make a recommendation for a device or internet plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thanks to Sarapage\u2019s efforts, Kulanu and our partner communities have been able to use technology as a key communication and education tool. Communities are now able to access online learning materials, which has led us to revamp our website\u2019s Online Jewish Resources page to assist communities in finding the information that they need to live Jewishly. We regularly receive photo updates from community leaders around the globe sharing their progress and stories with us. Being able to receive high-quality pictures and frequent updates is important for our outreach; we share these on<\/p>\n
social media and email to our many supporters to demonstrate that donations go to good use and reach the communities who need them.<\/p>\n
Sarapage has seen transformations in the eight communities where she has been the key player in providing internet access:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really excites me to see the impact that internet connection has had on these communities. I\u2019ve been sung to over Skype by Kenyan youth who didn\u2019t have access to Skype before. Many of the communities have been able to start their own GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for community needs outside of Kulanu\u2019s scope. The Tikvat Israel community opened a small internet caf\u00e9 in their synagogue. Community leaders are able to more quickly respond to emails from outside organizations that Kulanu has partnered them with, or that they have found on their own. I see many individuals with thriving Facebook pages making connections with friends from around the world. I am so proud to have played a part in enabling the global connectivity and technological learning of these communities.\u201d<\/p>\nIn Ghana, rabbinical student Loren Berman uses a donated laptop with Jewish community members in 2017. Sarapage assisted this community to access technology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
We are also delighted to see individuals developing new technical skills under Sarapage\u2019s guidance. Some have learned to use spreadsheets for budgeting.<\/p>\n
Harriet Bograd, Kulanu\u2019s president, affirms Sarapage\u2019s transformational role in Kualnu\u2019s work with technology in our communities: \u201cOver the years, my delight in Sarapage\u2019s contribution has grown and grown. She helps assess each community\u2019s resources and needs, helps shop for just the right device for each situation, helps communities assess how much internet service they are likely to need, or when solar power might be appropriate. Introducing technology to communities that are new to it and that have limited electricity can be very challenging. Kulanu is so proud to be able to introduce new communities to Sarapage to help them get started, and to introduce more advanced computer users to her for more advanced help. Sarapage approaches each person she helps with patience and respect and adjusts to each person\u2019s skills in English, computers, spreadsheets, and budgeting, and she communicates with people using whatever technology is comfortable and available to them, making her broad experience invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Technological improvements can touch all areas of an isolated Jewish community\u2019s life, from ritual practice to business management. It also helps the Kulanu office to spread the word about our work and about the self-driven efforts of communities. Thanks to Sarapage, our online network has been enriched!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Technology Director Volunteer Sarapage Podolsky has been instrumental in helping Kulanu\u2019s communities and their members gain technological skills that have <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5552,"parent":94,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-template\/full-width.php","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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