At a university dedicated to social justice, many of us frequently ask ourselves, "How can I make a difference in the world?" And in a world full of corruption, poverty, disease, hunger and a slew of other maladies, this question is becoming increasingly harder to answer.Making a difference is even more difficult from within our sheltered Brandeis "bubble." On campus, we are far removed from the suffering of humanity, and volunteering and raising money and awareness often seem futile when we cannot see the direct results of our efforts.

Yet despite these limitations, 18 other Brandeisians and I got the chance to make a real impact over winter break. Together, we spent a week volunteering in Kiryat Gat, Israel through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's short-term service program and Hillel.

I must admit that before our departure, I was extremely skeptical about the program. After spending a year in Israel, I knew what a fiasco volunteering there could be. My prior experiences were poorly organized, and the language barrier essentially forced our placements to bend over backwards to help us rather than the other way around. Despite my reservations, I wasn't about to turn down a highly subsidized trip to Israel, so I went.

When we arrived in Kiryat Gat, however, I quickly realized how wrong I was. Not only was our work desperately needed, but it was also meaningful.

In the mornings, we painted the dark, dingy and decrepit entrance of a complex that houses over 100 families. By the third day of painting, the neighbors were so grateful and enthusiastic that they started donning their own work clothes and coming out to help us.

Five members of the group also painted the inside of a run-down community clubhouse and helped plant and weed a communal garden. In the afternoons, we worked with youth groups for various ages by playing games, participating in community-building activities and helping the youth learn some English. In one youth group, we helped raise 1,000 shekels for the bat mitzvah of a girl whose family could not afford the expense.

In a word, our short time spent in Kiryat Gat was amazing. It's difficult to explain the impact of our work without sounding overly cheesy, but we watched a transformation occur in the community before our very eyes.

We left an obvious physical mark by renewing that which had been in a state of disrepair. But our presence also united the community: our projects gave the community a common focus to rally around, and they brought us all a little bit closer together.

OK, so our experience was all happy-go-lucky cupcakes and rainbows. But why am I writing a column about it? Judaism-oriented service in Israel is not exactly a universally applicable cause. And while this experience certainly allowed me to make an impact, not everyone would find the work to be done in Kiryat Gat as fulfilling or meaningful as I did. I am not writing this column to emphasize the Jewish or Israeli aspects of my experience. I am writing instead to emphasize the importance of short-term service.

After making such a big difference in such a small amount of time, I would be doing the Brandeis community a disservice not to share my experience. All the work we do on campus to raise money and promote awareness for various causes is still extremely important, and I applaud those who dedicate their time and energy to that work. However, short-term service has broader results.

One week is not enough time to make a real connection and build a strong relationship with a community, but it is enough time to get a feel for the issues facing the community and what it might take to solve those issues. Advocating for a cause is important, and a person can do so all the more effectively if he or she has experienced the cause firsthand.

Furthermore, with the proper equipment and enough able bodies, one week is enough time to paint a housing complex, plant a garden, build a house, clean up a communal space or dig a well, and while doing so, a volunteer can show the community that it is important and someone out there cares.

Whether it be in Israel or in Waltham, short-term service is an important and meaningful way to make a real difference for ourselves and for those who are most in need.