The Jewish Federations of North America has opened voting for its community hero nominees.
One community hero of the year and four finalists will be recognized at the federations'' General Assembly in New Orleans Nov. 7-9. A panel of judges will select the winner from the 20 nominees who receive the most online support. That person will receive a $25,000 grant to support his or her work.
People are encouraged to vote online to recognize Jewish volunteers who serve their communities as a first step to repairing the world.
Last year’s community hero, Ari Teman, the founder of JCorps, said the grant money allowed him “to get many more people involved in service projects around the world.”
The 2009 campaign attracted more than 500,000 online votes for hundreds of nominees, according to the Jewish Federations.