History

AVODAH was developed as an opportunity for people to integrate Judaism and social activism in ways that nourish their ideals and provide them with the capacity for stronger, enduring activism.

The organization was founded by Rabbi David Rosenn, and a group of activists and educators from across the spectrum of the American Jewish community. Some were religious; others not. Some worked in the nonprofit world; others were educators or rabbis or graduate students. They were united by the sense that there was a disconnect between their involvement in Jewish life and their commitment to working for social change. Dedicated to the notion of "AVODAH" — a Hebrew word which encompasses spiritual, communal and work-related "service" — they joined forces to create the first and only Jewish service corps.

Launched in New York in 1998 with one house of nine participants, the program doubled within a few years. In 2002, AVODAH began a new program in Washington, D.C. which quickly grew from nine participants to fifteen. In 2005, AVODAH opened its third site in Chicago with 9 participants.

In 2008 we brought AVODAH to New Orleans, opening our fourth site. Our move to New Orleans was a response to the serious need for longer-term volunteers to stabilize and advance the city’s anti-poverty organizations, to the New Orleans Jewish community’s need for new residents with fresh energy and a commitment to the community’s recovery, and to the national Jewish community’s desire to contribute in a concrete and effective way to doing something about the unacceptable levels of devastation and social dislocation that still prevail in New Orleans years after the storms.

In March of 2010, Rabbi David Rosenn left AVODAH after serving as Executive Director for 13 years and started as Deputy Director at the New Israel Fund, a grantmaking organization that works to promote democracy, human and civil rights, and a strong civil society in Israel. 

After building strong track records in New York and successfully expanding to Chicago, New Orleans, and Washington, DC, AVODAH is now set for the next phase of growth. By 2012, we aim to more than double the number of participants in our one-year program, bringing the total to more than 100 each year.