Let’s talk about how communities rise to support their people in times of need.

Specifically, let’s talk about how local community organizations and Indigenous nations do this work, not just as theory, but as daily practice. One example is Kerem House, a nonprofit organization in Israel that mobilizes volunteers to meet community needs. Another example is the Chickasaw Nation, which supports its citizens through extensive health, housing, education, and social programs while also encouraging service to broader communities.

Both examples reflect a simple principle: indigenous communities survive when people show up for each other.

Kerem House has been active in Israel’s volunteer sector for some time, but the organization’s role has become especially visible since October 7 and during the recent Iranian missile attacks. In both moments, the organization focused on something simple, but essential: connecting volunteers with people who needed help.

When I spoke with Daniel Gindis, director of Kerem House, I specifically asked about the organization’s response during the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, or the Twelve-Day War.

“There was a lot of uncertainty in the beginning,” he told me. “Then there were attacks in Tel Aviv, specifically down the street from us, and we started posting about helping older people manage apartments that had shattered glass, even before we understood the scope.”

Kerem House began posting volunteer opportunities almost immediately, directing people to places where help was needed.

“Within the first day we had tens and tens of people writing to volunteer,” he said. “At the beginning there was confusion, people were in shelters and trying to understand what had been hit. Once we started to understand the needs, we began sending volunteers where they could help.”

Since October 7, Kerem House has directed thousands of volunteers to where they were needed most.

Some of that help was straightforward. Assisting elderly residents, checking on neighbors, and helping people return to apartments damaged by nearby missile impacts. The work was not dramatic, nor just for show, but was immediate and practical. In moments of uncertainty, that kind of support matters.

A Jewish Tradition of Community Organization

“When discussing our origins, Kerem House wasn’t just a space, it was making opportunities happen and dreams a reality, literally,” Daniel said. “People who were restricted by the cost of space couldn’t act on their ideas, or those who don’t know how to reach interested populations. We provided an atmosphere that provided the space, experience and logistics to act on their ideas without extreme costs.”

“We’ve done over 1,000 events for over 20,000 participants in the form of Shabbat and holiday meals, dating activities, board game nights, murder mysteries and much more,” he added.

“The evolution becomes much clearer from that point,” he continued. “We built something to ensure people get what they need, and connect everyone to make it happen. Translate that to volunteer opportunities in the war, it’s a clear path.”

As new needs emerged, so did new responsibilities.

“Now we understand people also need to talk to officials, move legislation, ask the city for resources, organize volunteers,” Daniel said. “It’s very much like a Jewish story, seeing what is needed to live a Jewish communal life and building it.”

He added that Jewish communities have long operated this way.

“Jewish communities have always done what their capacity allowed. And then that capacity grows. You build what the community needs.”

That evolution also helps explain the organization’s role during wartime. What began as creating opportunities and connecting people naturally extended into coordinating volunteers during crisis. The same system that helped people bring ideas to life became a way to ensure people get what they need, connecting those who can help with those who need it most.

An Indigenous Perspective on Community Resilience

As a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who now lives in Israel, that description feels familiar.

Indigenous nations around the world rely on similar traditions of mutual responsibility to sustain their communities. Long before modern governments developed their own systems, Native nations created networks of leadership and community support to care for their citizens.

The Chickasaw Nation continues that approach today through comprehensive programs supporting health care, housing, education, and economic development for its citizens. These systems reflect a culturally responsive understanding that community survival requires organized care.

That same sense of responsibility appears in another statistic. Native Americans serve in the United States military at higher rates per capita than any other ethnic group in the country. Service to community, and to country, remains a deeply rooted value.

After the Hamas attacks on October 7, members of the Chickasaw Nation and other Native communities expressed solidarity with Israel. For many Indigenous people, standing with communities facing violence reflects a familiar principle: when people are under threat, others step forward.

Daniel sees that instinct in Israel today as well.

“What’s giving me hope,” he told me, “is that we actually have more volunteers than places to send them. Sometimes organizations get too many volunteers at once and have to send people away, but later they might need them.”

The challenge, he said, is coordination.

“If we can provide organized opportunities, if there’s a place to go and someone to receive you, people will volunteer.”

His message about resilience is simple.

“Don’t be afraid to ask,” he said. “Put yourself out there. People want to help. Sometimes asking is harder than giving, but if your intention is pure and your communication is clear, you’ll be amazed by who shows up.”

Israel’s resilience is often described in national terms, but much of it begins locally, in volunteer networks, community centers, and organizations like Kerem House.

From an Indigenous perspective, that lesson is familiar. Communities endure because people take responsibility for each other, and when the moment comes, they simply show up.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)