The Avodah Blog

Avodah Transforms Apathy into Energy

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Avodah

By Chana Sternberg, 2022–2023 Avodah Chicago Service Corps Member

By the end of my senior year of college, I was in a rut of apathy. After four years of studying international development, I had become thoroughly aware of the ramifications of capitalistic greed on society, but I could not find answers to the problem; good faith “solutions” seemed to only create other massive imbalances. I was sad and tired of hearing about band-aids that were applied to systems that begged to be rebuilt. I wondered about where to put my energy and what, if anything, I could do to make a difference.

Fortunately, my year as an Avodah Corps Member in Chicago has empowered me to embody the significance of my place in the world while providing an incredibly supportive intentional community that has shown me a different, more nurturing way of living.

Avodah has equipped me with the skill-building tools, a community of peers, and opportunities for reflection that have helped me enter and navigate both justice work and a new stage of adulthood. As a Corps Member, I have gained work experience that has taught me how to strategize for long-term success in the intense world of nonprofits, where second-hand trauma can take its toll; enjoyed an incredible living situation with 11 strangers-turned-family; and benefitted from curated learning and reflection opportunities – thank you Avodah staff! – that have taught me how to merge Jewish values with tangible action steps for social change, thus bringing the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world) to life.

When I first arrived at my job placement with the LGBT Asylum Project at the National Immigrant Justice Center, I was somewhat nervous. My job consists of answering a hotline that recent immigrants call seeking legal representation and protections from deportation. I grew up speaking Spanglish, so I had some Spanish language skills, but I worried that I was not proficient enough. During my first few days, my performance anxiety was at an all time high as I answered the phone, trying to help detained people from Colombia and Venezuela navigate the asylum application process. I answered call after call, hoping the tone of my voice would be both professional and empathetic, knowing that my delivery might include hints of uncertainty and imperfect grammar.

Since that first day, things have improved, thanks to so many wonderful, caring colleagues and supervisors. My colleagues helped me perfect my Spanish, enabling me to become more self-assured when working the hotline. Today, I answer calls with the conviction and confidence of knowing which measures to take to find the resources that each caller may need. And when I don’t have the answer, I know that I am just one message away from a colleague who will happily guide me.

This feeling of support extends from my workplace to the bayit. Whether I’m answering hotline calls from migrants in crisis at my cubicle or developing a chore system that meets the needs of my housemates, I find myself supported at every turn. I look forward to returning home from a long day at work to share a homemade meal with my housemates. With the smell of freshly baked focaccia hanging in the air, we might engage in a friendly venting session about the intricacies of the systemic limitations of social services work followed by a prayer to a G-d who means something unique to each of us.

This year-long experience has brought the concept of radical Jewish living down to earth for me, illustrating how accessible communal living and living Jewishly can be. Thus far, my greatest takeaway from Avodah has been the sheer impact of imagining the world as it could be. In August, as a newly initiated Corps Member, I was a bit skeptical of such idyllic-sounding rhetoric, as it seemed out of touch in the landscape of Chicago, where too many of our neighbors live unhoused, unfed, unseen. Six months into my Avodah year, I am proud to feel empowered by the Jewish mysticism that feeds the ideas and actions of the progressive space we occupy. I’ve realized that my cohort and I are not only envisioning the world as it could be, but are building that world, one hotline call and communal meal at a time.

Celebrating 20 Years of Avodah in Washington, D.C

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Avodah

Shula, a current Avodah DC Service Corps Member, and Emily, a 2018-2019 Jewish Service Corps alum together at CASA.

During her senior year at Union College, Emily Sullivan spent time on the Mexican-American border, where she met individuals and families who shared stories about their difficult journeys to America and the anxiety caused by not having official immigration status.

After witnessing the system in action, Emily decided she wanted to work in the immigration field to support people in attaining a more permanent, secure life in America. So, when she saw a listing to join Avodah’s class of 2018-2019 and work in the immigration field in Washington, D.C., she jumped.

“It sounded like a great opportunity to do the type of work I wanted to do in the immigration and social justice sphere,” says Emily, who spent the year with CASA, an immigration organization that serves the mid-Atlantic region.

Emily is one of 387 Avodah Service Corps Members who have found meaningful work through Avodah’s site in Washington, D.C., which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Corp Members annually provide thousands of hours of assistance a year to non-profits around Washington that greatly need additional people-power to meet the demand of their clients.

At CASA, the Avodah Corps Member typically works with people who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, which protects people who immigrated to the United States as children from deportation and allows them to work. Over the course of the year, the Avodah Corps Members will typically assist 500 applicants to renew their status.

“The Avodah corps members are a very integral part of our legal department,” says Lucia Curiel, the supervising immigration attorney at CASA. “They are straight out of college, but they really hit the ground running and it has real life implications for people.”

After Emily, now 27, finished her Avodah year, she stayed on at CASA. In 2020, she was promoted to legal services coordinator. Today, she is a Department of Justice-accredited representative, which allows her to legally represent a wide array of immigration cases. Now she helps people apply for green cards and works with immigrants who have been victims of a crime to secure visas.

“I feel good about my job,” Emily says.

Another highlight of her job is co-supervising the Avodah fellows along with Lucia. This year’s Corps Member, Shula Bronner, said she chose Avodah because she was looking for a post-college opportunity that would allow her to do social justice work in a supportive environment, which is exactly what she found at CASA.

“Everyone is really supportive, and I’m respected as someone who has something to add,” Shula says. “I am given a lot of independence to manage the workflow.”

For Shula, 22, working with DACA applicants has been both fulfilling and eye-opening. She says that she has seen how important the DACA status is, particularly in families where not everyone has work status.

“My DACA clients are often supporting their families because they have work status,” she explains.

Although she does not know what she wants to do when her year with Avodah comes to an end, Shula says that the Service Corps has helped her to learn what she wants.

“Avodah taught me what a supportive working environment looks like and I do know that I want to be in client-facing direct services or policy change,” Shula says. “I’ve just learned so much.”

What steps can Jewish camps take to advance social justice?

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Avodah

Leadership for Social Change Cohort members with cohort faculty and Avodah and Foundation for Jewish Camp staff at Ramah Darom; the group is gathered together, facing the camera and smiling

Last week, senior staff and directors from Jewish day and overnight camps from around the country gathered in Georgia to begin exploring this question. The retreat kicked off an 18-month training program through a partnership between Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Avodah Institute for Social Change.

Over the course of four days, the 18 participants in the Leadership for Social Change cohort discussed their own social justice journeys and delved into topics such as the foundations of social justice in Jewish thought and anti-Black racism.

The interactive programs and lectures were led by expert faculty members, including Catherine Bell, a non-profit consultant and coach; Caroline Rothstein, a poet, writer, and educator; Yoshi Silverstein, founder and executive director of Mitsui Collective, a non-profit that builds resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and somatic anti-racism; and Yehudah Webster, program director at the Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project, which provides social justice leaders with the tools of Jewish spirituality. Sarra Alpert, the Director of Avodah Institute for Social Change, served as an educator, along with guest teacher Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Atlanta, Georgia.

Left: Avodah Institute Director Sarra Alpert leads a session on Avodah's framework of social justice; participants are seated as Sarra stands next to an easel with chart paper

Right: Cohort members and faculty engage in a session on somatic antiracism led by Yoshi Silverstein; people are spread out on a basketball court in pairs

“I feel like I got more from the program than I know how to express,” one participant said. “I will be sitting with and exploring these thoughts and feelings for a long time.”

The program was based on several of the Institute’s core principles. One such principle is that racism, and anti-Blackness specifically, are at the roots of all injustice in America. Therefore, leaders who wish to practice social justice must learn about the roots of systemic biases while embarking on their own personal journeys.

Also core to the Avodah Institute’s vision is the understanding that transformational, liberatory, visionary work takes time and care, and that it is necessary to practice accountability while giving people room to learn and grow. In order to guide and support participants in a practice of self-reflection and deep growth, the program offers peer and individual coaching. During the retreat, participants had one-on-one coaching sessions with their faculty coaches, which allowed them to set the stage for the growth to come. They will continue meeting with their faculty coaches throughout the remainder of the cohort experience.

Cohort members also learned about somatic anti-racism and embodied social justice leadership, with the goal of developing new insights into how justice and injustice show up in the body, mind, heart, and actions. Over the course of the program participants will learn to use spiritual and somatic tools as they navigate their social justice journeys, both personally and communally.

Avodah launched the Avodah Institute for Social Change in response to movements for racial justice and urgent calls for more diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities. The primary goal is to help staff and leadership at Jewish organizations learn how to center tzedek (justice) in their work and programs. Over time, the in-depth learning is expected to ripple out and contribute to the broader movement for social change.

Last year, Avodah partnered with Hillel for a six-month pilot program. Avodah lengthened the program to add more training. The partnership with Federation for Jewish Camp will culminate with participants designing and implementing social justice programs at their camps in the summer of 2024.

“We’re truly inspired by the number of camp leaders who are willing to commit to this long-term, in-depth process of centering social justice both in their own leadership and in their camp environments,” said Sarra Alpert, Director of the Avodah Institute for Social Change.

Avodah Institute for Social Change Partners with Foundation for Jewish Camp

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Avodah

Avodah is proud to announce that it has partnered with Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) for the second cohort program of the Avodah Institute for Social Change. The 18-month program trains Jewish community professionals to develop their Jewish justice skills. The program is facilitated by a set of diverse and accomplished Jewish educators from across the social justice sector, including Catherine Bell, Caroline Rothstein, Yoshi Silverstein, and Yehudah Webster.

Avodah established the Institute in response to a growing demand from Jewish organizations for professional development that would help promote greater diversity, equity, and inclusion within their communities. Through retreats, workshops, coaching, and peer mentoring, the Institute will provide eighteen Jewish day and overnight camp senior staff with opportunities to learn about social justice, respond to issues that matter to their campers and staff, and develop skills to deepen their camp’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

Participants of the Leadership for Social Change cohort include JCamp, Westside JCC; URJ Jacobs Camp; URJ Camp Coleman; Camp J, Tucson JCC; Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake; BB Day Camps Portland; Camp Sabra; Urban Adamah; URJ Greene Family Camp; Camp Havaya; URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy; Camp Sabra; Camp Avoda; Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp; and Camp Kinderland.

Read the full press release here.

The Avodah Institute for Social Change is generously funded by Crown Family Philanthropies, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Jim Joseph Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation, Perlin Family Foundation, The Rakin Family, Sally Gottesman, Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff, Martine and Stanley Fleishman, and Ruth Wolman.

Avodah at the White House by CEO Cheryl Cook

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Avodah

Two white women in formal attire standing in front of the White House menorah with three candles lit — Cheryl Cook and Avodah Board Chair, Lynne Wasserman

When I received the invitation to the White House Chanukah party, my first thought was of my ancestors and those of my spouse. How amazed these immigrants, who fled the towns of Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire, would be to know that not only was the White House standing up to anti-Semitism with a full embrace of the Jewish community, but that I was among the hundreds of Jewish leaders invited to be part of the lighting of the White House menorah.

I’ve often pondered the idea of homeland. As a wandering people, my ancestors have had many homes. My children can trace their lineage back generations to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ukraine, Salonica, and Ireland; not all of us have this privilege. Today, I have deep roots both in the land where I was raised, with its small hills and Great Lakes, and in the city I have chosen, with its tall buildings, tree-lined streets, and walkable neighborhoods. Standing in the White House amid many colleagues, I was reminded that wherever in America we have planted our roots we have not only the right but the responsibility to make sure that this homeland of ours lives up to its ideals.

After the lighting of the White House’s newly unveiled, first permanent menorah, made from beams that were salvaged when President Truman renovated the mansion in 1950, President Biden spoke to the Jewish people’s integral role as Americans.

“The story of America is the story of you, of all of us, drawing strength from those who came before, spreading the fire that burns in our hearts, grateful for the miracles of love and faith and kindness and courage that surround us each and every day,” Biden said.

This is our home and we have work to do to build the communities and country that meet every person’s basic needs and give everyone the chance to achieve their fullest potential. Biden’s words kindled an even stronger sense of commitment to persist in advancing Avodah’s mission: to develop lifelong social justice leaders who inspire the Jewish community to work toward a more just and equitable world.

As Avodah celebrates its 25th anniversary, I invite everyone to join us in this effort. As Jews and Americans, we all have a role to play in ensuring that America fulfills its promise of life, liberty, and justice for all. Together, we can write a story of universal liberation that will reverberate throughout the generations.

Meet the Leadership for Social Change Facilitators

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Avodah

After a successful first year, the Avodah Institute for Social Change will present its second leadership development cohort for senior-level Jewish professionals: Leadership for Social Change, beginning in January. The program is facilitated by a set of diverse and accomplished Jewish educators from across the social justice sector, including: Catherine Bell, Caroline Rothstein, Yoshi Silverstein, and Yehudah Webster.

The cohort, a partnership of the Avodah Institute and Foundation for Jewish Camp, is an 18-month program for year-round staff leadership team members to deepen the work of social justice programming at Jewish camps across the country.

Catherine Bell: through coaching, facilitation, and training, Catherine Bell works with people and teams to lead from a place of wholeness and authenticity. Her expertise spans career development, executive leadership, power and privilege in the workplace, and navigating conflict. Her work centers on DEI training, particularly in relation to gender identity/sexual orientation, antiracism work for white people, and power/privilege.

Caroline Rothstein: an internationally touring writer, poet, performer, and educator, Caroline Rothstein, performs spoken word poetry, publicly speaks, facilitates workshops, and teaches year-round. Her work goes deep, offering narratives on the injustices of our time that are as heart-wrenching as they are inspiring. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, NYLON, Narratively, The Forward, and elsewhere. Caroline and her work have been featured widely including in The New Yorker, MTV News, Chicago Tribune, CBS Evening News, BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, Mic, and Newsweek.

Yoshi Silverstein: In leading the Mitsui Collective, Yoshi Silverstein approaches Jewish education with a holistic lens that engages not only the mind, but also the body, heart, and soul. Recently awarded the prestigious Pomagranite Prize, his work seeks to nourish body and soul through meaning-making, purposeful connection, and creative expression. He was also selected as a 2021 “Grist 50 Fixer” for his work in building a more just and equitable future. A Chinese Ashkenazi American Jew, Yoshi Silverstein is also an active advocate and educator in the Jews of Color community. Formerly Director of the JOFEE Fellowship at Hazon, he is a Senior Schusterman Fellow, sits on the Board of Directors for Repair the World, and is an alumnus of Selah, the Dorot Fellowship, and the Jewish Pedagogies Fellowship with M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education.

Yehudah Webster: As a faculty member for Inside Out Wisdom and Action, Yehudah Webster leverages Torah spirituality and Jewish wisdom in fostering collective anti-racist Teshuvah. As a community organizer for Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), he led police accountability and transformative justice campaigns through grassroots efforts and legislative reform. Born as a Christian in Guyana, Yehudah’s Jewish journey began at age 8 in South Orange, NJ, where he and his family converted. Growing up in the face of white hegemony, he now facilitates workshops and speaks to audiences around the country to inspire and empower the Jewish community to commit to racial justice and make space for Jews of Color. He is a graduate of JFREJ’s Grace Paley Organizing Fellowship and Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program.

Learn more about the Leadership for Social Change cohort program here.

Avodah Gift Guide: 16 Alumni Artists & Creators to Support this Holiday Season

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Avodah

Chanukah is quickly approaching and while big box stores often dominate this season of giving, we encourage you to shop small. Below are 16 Avodah alumni artists and makers whose creations offer something for every beloved person in your life (even the ones who already have everything). Better yet, many of the purchases from these talented alumni artists go toward supporting social justice causes, making them gifts you can feel good about.

Here is our Avodah Gift Guide featuring 16 alumni artists, crafters, and makers using art to make a difference.

From left to right, images feature works by Avodah alumni Amy Ravis Furey, Genia Blaser, Raina Fox, Tali Levy-Bernstein, and Perri Wilson.

Jordan Aiken – Ketubot and Jewelry

While participating in Avodah New Orleans Service Corps, Jordan served at a women’s shelter. She has since gone on to work in healthcare, legal, and LGBTQ advocacy spaces. Outside of work, she is also a painter, calligrapher, and jeweler. Follow her Instagram and view her Judaic art collections here. You can also place a custom ketubah or jewelry order!

Genia Blaser – Watercolors

Watercolors and sketch prints are a specialty of Genia Blaser, who served as a Corps Member in NYC from 2005-2006. By day, Genia works as a non-profit immigration attorney and in her free time, practices watercolors, portraits, and more. All of her watercolors and prints can be found on her Instagram page at @GeniaPaints.

Jamie Diamond – Jewelry and Art

New Orleans Service Corps alum Jamie Diamond returned to New York after her service year and now works for Hebrew Union College. In addition to her day job, Jamie makes sustainable, feminist-friendly jewelry and art, primarily from upcycled watch parts, typewriter keys, recycled glass, dried flowers, and more. She also does custom oil paintings You can view and order her work on Instagram.

Sarah Farbman – Gift of Music with Personalized Songs

For a one-of-a-kind personalized gift, look no further than Passing Notes, where you can send personalized songs as gifts thanks to Avodah alum Sarah Farbman, her partner, and sister-in-law, who started the small business. According to their website, the lyricists write completely original, personalized songs customizable down to the instrumentation, style, and topic. Give them the deets, and they’ll give you the beats (and the rest of the song too)! Order a song here.

Marlana Fireman – Art by Firelight Studio NOLA

New Orleans-based writer and artist Marlana Fireman completed the Jewish Service Corps in 2017. Her shop, Firelight Studio, features spooky, fun, and sex-positive art. With postcards, packs of stickers, and framed prints, there’s a lot to choose from! She also takes commissions.

Jett George – Prints and Stickers

Jett George is a former member of our New York Service Corps cohort. As their website says, “Jett is a non-binary trans artist, activist, jewexx, and sweet Gemini baby. They’re here to make art aligned with their values of trans liberation, prison/police abolition, anti-racism, ending gender-based violence, and disability justice.” Stay up to date on Jett’s work via Instagram.

Sarah Gordon – Jewelry and Ceramics from Slow Makers Club

Sarah settled in Philadelphia after participating in our Service Corps and has since co-created Slow Makers Club. Each quarter, 10 percent of all ceramics and earring sales from the shop go to support various Black and/or queer-led organizations in Pennsylvania. You can see more pieces and stay up-to-date on new offerings via Instagram.

Raina Fox – Cards on a Mission

Former D.C. Corps Member Raina Fox’s professional background intersects with many issue areas, including sexual health services, refugee support, and LGBTQ advocacy. Raina makes and sells block-printed greeting cards (and even teaches block printing as a community-building avenue). Over the years 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of these cards have been donated to community groups advancing LGBTQIA+ rights, indigenous and Black-led social movements, abortion access, and more. This year, all proceeds will go to the DC Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network to provide respite, transport, food, supplies, and more. If you don’t see something that sparks your interest, Raina also makes custom blocks for large orders. You can follow her on Instagram as well.

Laurie Herschman Heller – LH Print Shop

Laurie came to the Chicago Service Corps in 2007 with a background in art and communications. After Avodah, she traveled abroad and then made her home in Boston. She runs LH Print Shop, with designs created to “make your walls smile.”

Tali Levy-Bernstein – Bold Earrings and Clay Works

Tali was a Chicago Corps Member from 2017-2018. She is currently in graduate school working toward an MAT to teach history in Chicago Public Schools. Along with her friend, Shula Ornstein, Tali began selling handcrafted polymer clay earrings this year. The earrings are very colorful, lightweight, and affordable, making them a great gift for anyone in your life who loves bold, statement jewelry. Follow Tali and Shula on Instagram at @claystuff94. They have also just started an Etsy shop also under claystuff94.

Lauren Lowenstein – Art for Always Ketubahs

An alum of the D.C. Service Corps, Lauren Lowenstein, who has a background in social work and health care, runs ART for ALWAYS ketubahs. You can browse her gallery of original contemporary and abstract ketubahs on Instagram is a gallery of past works.

Danielle Moyal – Watercolor Stickers

Danielle Moyal participated in Avodah’s Jewish Service Corps in New Orleans from 2020-2021. When Danielle’s not doing prison abolition or environmental justice work, she’s creating adorable watercolor stickers. You can check out her shop here.

Amy Ravis Furey – Accessories by Little Furey

When she’s not running the Avodah Kansas City Justice Fellowship, alumna Amy Ravis Furey, pursues justice through craftivism. Her shop, Little Furey features handmade creations that aim to raise consciousness “one stitch at a time.” Her Instagram includes shop updates and personal musings.

Kaetlin Ritchie – Graphic Tees from Golden Willows

Kaetlin Ritchie was a D.C. Corps Member in 2015. Today, she runs Golden Willows, selling shirts with hand-drawn, collage, and photography design elements. All of Golden Willows’ shirts are made from sustainably sourced cotton. “The images are meant to inspire and spark meaningful conversation.”

Jordan Rubenstein – Affirming Merch from The Crafty Queer

Jordan Rubenstein was an Avodah Justice Fellow in New York and has been an advocate in many Jewish and non-Jewish spaces. They helped their spouse, Alister, launch The Crafty Queer, selling art and merch “for all your LGBTQ and recovery-affirming needs.” Their products range from tote bags to earrings to baby onesies. In addition to checking out their shop, follow The Crafty Queer on Instagram.

Cori Strell – Wax Wraps for Zero-Waste Food Storage

By day, Cori Strell, who completed the NYC Service Corps in 2021-2022, works at her former Avodah placement, The Brave House. With her spare time, Cori makes bee’s wax wraps that can be used as an alternative to plastic wrap. They come in 4-piece variety packs for $30 , including shipping. She also facilitates zero-waste work shops for those interested. Visit Waxbees.online or follow @Waxbeeswraps on Instagram to place an order.

Perri Wilson – Paintings and Sketches

When she’s not serving at Bread for the City’s legal clinic, current D.C. Corps Member Perri Wilson is an avid painter. Her collections span oil and acrylic works, as well as sketches and pastels. Perri’s available work can be purchased here. She also takes commissioned orders to turn treasured photos into paintings! To reach Perri directly, email pcw.135@gmail.com. Additionally, 30 percent of all proceeds from this season’s sales will go to the International Rescue Committee.

Are you an Avodah alum who creates and sells art, merchandise, or other products? Email alindner@avodah.net and we will add you to our directory of artists.

Reimagining Cultural Structures During Sukkot

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Avodah

Corps Members and alumni exploring Jewish text and learn about the history of the Angola prison in the Sukkah with placement organization, The First 72+

Avodah New Orleans held its first in-person event in two years during Sukkot, gathering in the Sukkah at the home of Avodah Alum Dana Keren, and learning from longtime placement organization, The First 72+, whose mission is to stop the cycle of incarceration by fostering independence and self-sustainability through education, stable and secure housing and employment, health care, and community engagement.

Until recently, New Orleans held the highest incarceration rate in the nation, which today remains at nearly double the national average. Over dinner in the Sukkah, Avodah Corps Members heard from Pastor Tyrone Smith, one of the founders of The First 72+, as well as Darrell Miles, who was recently released after serving 42.5 years at Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola (the largest maximum-security prison in the United States) for a crime he didn’t commit. Darrell was finally exonerated in October 2021.

The Corps Members learned the history of the Angola prison, which is rooted in slavery, having been originally four plantations that were combined and turned into a prison after the Civil War. It is still known as Angola today since many who were enslaved there had been taken from the Southern African nation and sold to white slaveholders in Louisiana.

Staffers from The First 72+ speak in a standing circle with Corps Members about the themes of Sukkot and structures in society that have been created that can be reimagined. Avodah Alumna and former staffer Alysse Fuchs speaks about the NOLA to Angola initiative to Corps Members, supporters, and friends.

In a session led by New Orleans Program Director Shosh Madick, the Corps Members discussed the Jewish themes of Sukkot, offering a unique opportunity to pause and reflect on what is and isn’t permanent – and to consider how our societal structures, such as prisons and incarceration systems, can be reimagined, shifted, and changed.

Avodah alumna and former staffer, Alysse Fuchs, talked about community-driven efforts to help families impacted by Louisiana’s incarceration system, including NOLA to Angola, a charitable bike ride that raises funds to provide bus transportation for families of those incarcerated. This free service makes it possible for families to make the 170-mile commute between New Orleans and the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The First 72+ is also one of the fundraiser’s recipients.

With such long distances between families in New Orleans and their loved ones in Angola, the goal of the free bus transportation is to unify families and help keep them together. Chad Sanders, co-director of The First 72+ shared about a man in Angola whose mother had passed away and how the free bus transportation would allow that individual to be present at her funeral. “Together we can change the landscape of this world,” Chad said.

After shaking the lulav and etrog and sharing holiday blessings, the attendees took the time to write out what permanent ideas and structures they want to bring forward. Peace, radical love, and liberation were just a few of the notes pinned on the sukkah.

To learn more about NOLA to Angola, click here. And watch this video to hear more about The First 72+ and Avodah’s relationship and work together.

Alumni Spotlight: Empowering Youth with Naomi Barnett

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Avodah

Naomi Barnett (they/them) is a professional writer, editor, and project manager. They currently work at Spotify as the editor-in-chief of the company’s online publication, For the Record. They graduated from Binghamton University in 2016 with degrees in English and Marketing. After moving to NYC in 2017, Naomi got involved with various Jewish and social justice organizations. Naomi is interested in the intersections of communications, development, tech, and fundraising as tools for change. Naomi is also a marathoner and triathlete who now resides in Northampton, MA with their Avodah Service Corps alum partner and dog.

As the editor-in-chief of Spotify’s For the Record publication, Avodah alum Naomi Barnett didn’t have a traditional professional background in the justice field. However, equipped with a deep-rooted value of justice, the willingness to try something new, and skills acquired during their Avodah Justice Fellowship, Naomi built a program from scratch that teaches teenagers how to harness their own power and pursue their ideas to create change.

Judaism and social justice had been linked together for Naomi since they were young, most deeply stemming from their time at Jewish summer camp. “When I think about Jewish camp, I think about an understanding of my Jewish identity I would not have been able to access if I had not had that immersive experience. At camp, you choose how engaged you are in a way you can’t do in Hebrew school or at home with your parents. There were things we worked on at my camp that were more social justice focused, and those were the elements I was always excited by,” they said.

So, in 2020, when most summer camps shuttered for the pandemic, Naomi had an idea: a week-long summer Zoom program for teens.

They had just wrapped up their Avodah Justice Fellowship project, which coincided with a grassroots fundraising campaign with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. As a co-coordinator for grassroots fundraising during the organization’s Let My People Go campaign, Naomi leveraged their professional communications background along with their wealth privilege to raise money for bail and bond for immigrants in the tri-state area.

“The Avodah Justice Fellowship cemented my own theory of power in those methods of change. It was also a really good support system, especially as the pandemic got started – commiserating together as we went through the beginnings of the lockdown.”

Now equipped with a network of social justice professionals to lean on, along with the tools and hard skills to create change, Naomi began planning a virtual teen program focused on social justice and organizing with the assistance of fellow Let My People Go campaign leaders.

Through conversations with those in the field, including those in their Avodah cohort, they decided to extend their timeline for planning the program and turned it into a Zoom alternative winter break. Working with a few others, Naomi wrote lesson plans, secured funding, educators, and enrolled nine middle- and high-schoolers from around the country in the program.

Image of high school students participating in a facilitated discussion in a circle. — The Joseph Stern Social Justice Fellowship for High School Students is a cohort-based, intensive, 10-month program that gives teens of all abilities the opportunity to learn about and practice making change in their communities, with support from an experienced activist.

“I totally fell in love with it. They learned a lot about each other and about themselves. They had all become little abolitionists. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Naomi said.

That was in December 2020. Six months later, Sarra Alpert, then Avodah’s Director of Social Change, reached out to Naomi to lead a similar program – this time, for over the span of several weeks and months in partnership with the JCC and Avodah.

Through the program, a group of 12 teens met once a week to learn about themselves and topics such as privilege, oppression, antisemitism, race, racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and how these events and issues play out, specifically in New York.

The teens then created their own projects, looking up an organization doing work on an issue that was important to them, researching the organization and how they’re tackling the problem, and then, creating something, such as a social media campaign, a podcast episode, a website, an op-ed, to inform others how to either support the cause.

The goal, Naomi explained, was for them to take what they learned and piece together all the different elements of identity to understand what their place in that might be to raise awareness, money, or to have an impact on the issue they care about.

“Teens are learning where their passions lie and what their power is. We help them put those two things together,” Naomi said. “It’s so impactful how dreaming of a better future and then working to bring that world into being can be. They’re not so jaded yet that they can still do the imaginative stuff. This group is so much more knowledgeable, engaged and involved than I was at that age – they have so many questions. They’re honing in on what they want to study, what they want to do full time with their lives, and now they already have some of these questions answered.”

The biggest takeaway from doing this, Naomi explained, is being willing to try something new and to harness your own power.

“You may not have a classical education in something, but you can learn from people who are smart and have experience. Pursue the idea you have – work to make it happen. That has changed so much of the way I’ve been thinking about things in the last two years. I created a program from scratch and now I am asked to run something like this. It has opened a lot of doors for me and posed a lot of questions of how to incorporate this into my career,” Naomi said. “From this, I truly believe that one can impart their values and make change in any environment they’re in.”

Applications for the Avodah Justice Fellowship are open in Kansas City and Chicago. Apply here.

For Teens:

The Joseph Stern Social Justice Fellowship for High School Students is a cohort-based, intensive, 10-month program that gives teens of all abilities the opportunity to learn about and practice making change in their communities, with support from an experienced activist.

Over the course of the program, participants will:

Learn together about ways to effect change in the world.
Engage in in-depth discussions on social justice issues selected by the participants.
Meet with community leaders and activists.
Practice what they’ve learned in small teams and make change!

Thursdays, Oct 6, 2022–May 18, 2023, 6–7:30 pm, $700

Register Here: https://bit.ly/3RLYPCL

Sessions will take place in person at the JCC. It is important to us that this program be financially accessible for all who are interested. If your family would like to discuss financial assistance for this program, please email Austin Rieders at arieders@mmjccm.org.

The Joseph Stern Social Justice Fellowship is copresented by BBYO, Avodah, and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and funded by the Matana Giving Circle.

Growing Greens and Environmental Justice Values

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Avodah

Avodah’s 2021-2022 Service Corps Members graduated from the program in late July and joined our 1,300+ strong alumni network. We are excited to see these young Jewish changemakers take their next steps, and are grateful for the impact they’ve made – both in their batim (homes) and in their communities across the country this past year.

Coinciding with Avodah’s teachings on Earth-friendly practices, commitment to reducing use of factory farms, and service in the climate justice field, all of our cohorts contributed to community-based agricultural efforts this year:

Home Gardens & Local Produce

Cohorts: New York, DC

In New York City, Corps Members planted a garden in the backyard of the bayit. The cohort’s final retreat featured a workshops on sustainable practices, led by the bayit’s passionate gardener, Corps Member Cori. She taught the Corps Members how to make sustainable alternatives to plastic wrap out of bees-wax, as well as lip balm and toothpaste.

Meanwhile, D.C. Corps Members have maintained a yearlong “community-supported agriculture” partnership with Licking Creek Bend Farm, providing the cohort with weekly deliveries of locally grown fruits and vegetables. We are especially proud to support Licking Creek Bend, a family-owned farm that includes a member of Avodah’s alumni community! The Corps Members recently visited the property for its Farm Day celebration. They’ve also dabbled in gardening at their own apartment.

Activism Through Art & Food Access

Cohort: New Orleans

This spring, New Orleans Corps Members spent a morning working and learning at Grow Dat Youth Farm, a two-acre sustainable farm working to increase food access and education. Our Corps Members’ service contributed to Grow Dat Youth Farm’s annual 32,000 pounds of produce! After lunch, the cohort met up with artist and activist Hannah Chalew. They then got to learn from artist and environmental activist Hannah Chalew. A Louisiana native, Hannah’s work comments on climate change, particularly its effects on Southern Louisiana communities. She led the Corps Members through a paper-making workshop, showing them how to make paper from reused materials.

Connecting with the Earth During the Shmita Year

Cohorts: Chicago & San Diego

In May, our Program Directors coordinated programs inspired 5782 being a Shmita year, encouraging Corps Members to connect with the land. The Chicago crew headed to Patchwork Farms, an urban agriculture organization dedicated to greening vacant land in underserved neighborhoods. Corps Members shared a picnic lunch while hearing about the history of the organization, then they got their hands dirty, planting seedlings and weeding plots. Program Director Rose Silverman wrapped the day with a Shmita-based text study and reflection.

Across the country, Avodah San Diego took a trip to Coastal Roots Farm, a nonprofit Jewish community farm. Corps Members met with staff members Kesha and Sharone to take a tour and learn how the organization works to cultivate healthy, connected communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom. The group shared a meal – eating vegetables pulled straight from the ground – and listened to kids sing farm songs nearby.