‘Healing the world,’ a group of Israeli students stay with local seniors while they give back to Milwaukee community

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Teenagers from Israel are in Milwaukee this week. It’s part of their goal to help people all around the world. 

Ovation Communities, a local senior living home, is hosting the teens. 

“The idea is to build bridges between Israel and the United States, between their Jewish community and our Jewish community,” said Tanya Mazor-Posner, the vice president of development at Ovation Communities. 

Over the next week the students will make various stops all over Milwaukee to help however they can. 

“We call it “Tikkun Olam,” which means healing the world,” said David Bitan, the student’s team leader.

With less than 24 hours under their belt in Milwaukee, the students were already at Despenza de la Paz Food Pantry on Milwaukee’s South Side.

They helped with the pantry’s community garden, hydroponics farm and organized diapers that were stacked in closets. 

“So, we’re going to unpack it and after this, we’re going to put the diapers in,” said one student as he unboxed large bins.

When the students aren’t volunteering with community organizations, they’ll be spending time over the next week building connections with the seniors at Ovation Communities.