Growing up in Beachwood, Jodi Shapiro was surrounded by stories of Jewish leadership, Zionism and community service. Today, those values continue to shape her life as a full-time student at the University of Haifa and the organizer of a search-and-rescue training program that is helping immigrants become emergency responders in Israel.

Raised in a family with deep roots in Cleveland’s Jewish community, she said service was always part of her upbringing. Her family has been connected to the city for generations, and she grew up hearing stories about relatives who helped lead local Jewish and Zionist organizations.

I grew up in a very Zionist family,” Shapiro, who was a congrgant of Park Synagogue in Pepper Pike, told the Cleveland Jewish News. “I grew up hearing stories about Uncle Ezra, who held many positions in the Zionist movement as early as the 1920s, so it probably came as no surprise when I decided to make aliyah (on July 4, 2019), serve as a lone soldier and then continue building my life here.”

Now pursuing a pre-med degree, she balances coursework with volunteer service on the city of Haifa’s municipal search-and-rescue team. She completed her certification in early 2025 and soon realized the experience gave her something she had been missing.

“I’ve been living in the same apartment for about 6½ half years,” she said. “I realized I really didn’t become part of the community where I lived until I joined this team and found myself responsible for the safety of the people around me.”

The idea came after she noticed many English-speaking immigrants wanted to volunteer, but felt uncomfortable taking search-and-rescue training in Hebrew. She approached the city of Haifa with the idea of offering the course in English. While officials supported the concept, funding would have taken months, if not years.

Rather than wait, Shapiro decided to raise the money herself.

While studying for final exams, she organized a fundraising campaign that collected nearly $22,000 in about three weeks. Much of the support came from donors in Cleveland.

“I was pretty sure we could do it faster,” she said. “I asked if I would be allowed to organize it myself if I didn’t seek funding from the city. They said yes, and we raised just under $22,000 in about three weeks during my final exams.”

The funding allowed about 30 English-speaking immigrants to complete the course, increasing the number of volunteers on Haifa’s municipal search-and-rescue team by roughly one-third. The program not only prepares immigrants to respond during emergencies but also helps them become active members of the communities where they live.

For her, that success is only the beginning. She hopes to expand the initiative to other Israeli cities and eventually offer the course in Russian to better serve another large immigrant population.

Despite the project’s growth, she remains focused on balancing volunteer work with school.

“I’m a full-time student,” she said. “I’m doing this on top of school and trying to get into med school. But it’s meaningful to know that we’ve already added 30 more first responders and one is already using these skills to help as part of a delegation to Venezuela.”

She credits much of the project’s success to the Cleveland community that supported her fundraising efforts.

“One of the things I’m always proud of about Cleveland is that we tend to punch above our weight,” she said. “Most people don’t even know our community is there, but in terms of philanthropy, leadership and impact, I couldn’t have asked for a better city to grow up in.”

Shapiro is the daughter of Michael Shapiro of Beachwood and Elizabeth Shapiro of Mayfield Heights.

Looking ahead, she hopes the program will continue expanding so more immigrants can find opportunities to serve.

“At the end of the day, I just wanted to address an issue facing my community,” Shapiro said. “The goal is to help olim become part of the community instead of just existing on the periphery while simultaneously expanding the capabilities of our teams to provide assistance to olim . I hope that one day we can make this available to immigrants across the country regardless of their background and where they chose to call home.”