CEO Cheryl Cook joined 1,000+ faith leaders from across the country in Minneapolis to protest ICE.
CEO Cheryl Cook joined 1,000+ faith leaders from across the country in Minneapolis to protest ICE.
We mourn the loss of our beloved friend, Board member, and long-time supporter Sheila Lambert, z’l.
We are excited to announce the ratification of our first collective bargaining agreement between Avodah Management and the Avodah Staff Union.
On the second anniversary of October 7th and the start of Sukkot, we reflect on the power of community in finding the balance between grief, vulnerability, and celebration.
Last week, our community in New Orleans commemorated Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall 20 years ago along the Gulf Coast. We reflect on Avodah’s presence in New Orleans and the lessons we’ve learned about community in the wake of disaster.
Reflections on 10 years of leadership of Avodah, and her vision for a more just and equitable future. Continue reading
Outgoing Board Chair Ilana Zafran Walden reflects on her journey, leadership, and hopes for Avodah’s future. Continue reading
Avodah, the Jewish Service Corps, calls for more service, not less. Continue reading
Avodahniks participate in a panel on the power of relationships to addressing a the most pressing issues in the US.
At Avodah, we are committed to providing the resources that allow Jewish leaders to stay in the sacred work of seeking justice for all.
Announcing L’Dor V’dor, our bold, new strategic plan to expand Avodah programming and deepen our impact for the next three years and beyond.
We’re going to keep bringing the light, together.
Tomorrow on October 7th, we’ll hold our grief with the support of our communities, traditions, and history.
Two well-known organizations committed to creating the next generation of American Jewish communal professionals are teaming up.
Avodah’s CEO Cheryl Cook shares an invitation to mourn and pray through community in the wake of October 7.
The 18-month program trains Jewish camp leaders to develop their Jewish justice skills.
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...
As an organization rooted in justice and Jewish values, Avodah stands steadfastly alongside organizations advocating for access to reproductive healthcare for all.
In a recent e-Jewish Philanthropy article, Avodah’s Economic Access Fund is named as the model that Repair the World is now using to help make their program more accessible to young Jews who come from lower-income backgrounds. Continue reading
Avodah and its recently formed employee union jointly announced the formal recognition of the staff’s affiliation with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild on March 28, 2022. The staff were moved to form a union as an extension of Avodah’s mission and impact in the...
As we heal from this, may we keep our hearts open and act justly to protect and defend all in our Jewish community – and in our human community. Continue reading
Avodah alumni, partners, and educators helped secure the most comprehensive civilian oversight of a police department in the country.
We are thrilled to announce that on this Earth Day, Avodah is going #DefaultVeg – a move that shifts our purchasing practices away from factory farming, a leading driver of environmental injustice. Factory farms produce 99 percent of all animal products,...
Yesterday’s full conviction of Officer Derek Chauvin represents a collective exhale. A breath we have been holding as a nation for three weeks (and for many far longer) and a reminder of the breath George Floyd was denied as he cried out, “I can’t...
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2021 Contact: Amanda Lindner, alindner@avodah.net Avodah Selected by 2021 Genesis Prize Laureate Steven Spielberg as Grant Recipient Avodah is among 10 organizations recognized for their racial and economic justice work NEW...
Our hearts are broken after the tragedies in Atlanta. Anti-Asian violence, misogyny, gender-based violence, white supremacy, xenophobia – it must end now. To our Jewish AAPI community, we are holding you close. We mourn with you and we stand with you. There has...
The following remarks were given by Rabbi Lauren Tuchman, Avodah’s Ruach Avodah Spiritual Advisor, on February 3, 2021/22 Shvat, 5781 at the #JDAM (Jewish Disability Awareness Month) kickoff, hosted by Jewish Federations of North America. I would like to begin...
Barukh Dayan HaEmet/Praised be the Judge of truth. We are very sad to receive the news of the death of 2018 Avodah Partner in Justice honoree Karen Lewis, zikhrona livrakha (may her memory be for blessing). Lewis was President of the Chicago Teachers Union, Local...
To our Avodah community: As of 5 p.m. ET, all Avodah D.C. Corps Members who were out of the Bayit providing essential services to clients across the District were home safely and adhering to the curfew ordered by the D.C. Mayor. We offered car ride services to Corps...
We are so proud to share some of the incredible feats and exciting moments we celebrated at Avodah in 2020 and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store in 2021. Continue reading
I was on vacation last year when a surprising email crossed my inbox… Subject line: “From Justice Ginsburg.” From this email, I learned that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – yes, that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – had designated a gift to Avodah upon her...
Avodah Corps Members spend a year deeply immersed in the most pressing social justice issues of our time. So when powerful protests erupted across the nation in response to the murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Brionna Taylor, and countless others, the 15...
Avodah alumni Absera Melaku and Cydney Wallace were named today to Oy Chicago’s prestigious “36 Under 36” list. The pair, both alumni of the Chicago Justice Fellowship (2017-2018) were noted for making a difference through their work, giving back in their free...
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our society upside down, creating a culture of physical isolation, fear and sadness. While some of us have been fortunate enough to continue working while sheltering in place, millions of others in our country and around the...
Black Lives Matter. We join a growing chorus of individuals, organizations, and institutions proclaiming this statement to affirm the dignity of Black lives and call for an end to structural racism. More importantly, while we know that a statement is powerful,...
To our Avodah community, Last week, George Floyd died under the knee of a police officer, gasping that he couldn’t breathe. It is heartbreaking that just a few years after Eric Garner died with these same words, we are back in this place. So many lives gone. So...
To our Avodah community: I hope that this message finds you and your families well during this challenging time. I’m writing to provide you with an update regarding Avodah’s response to COVID-19 (coronavirus), and to share some resources that may be helpful as...
In Fall 2016, Avodah convened a Racial Justice Task Force comprised of staff, alumni, Board and Advisory Council members with the goal of strengthening Avodah’s racial justice work, both internally and externally. The Task Force had several recommendations that were...
Big news! We are very excited to announce that Avodah is launching our sixth program city…in SAN DIEGO! Our San Diego site, opening in summer 2021, will be Avodah’s first location on the West Coast. We’re thrilled to head to California and make real...
On January 5, Avodah took part in the Solidarity March across the Brooklyn Bridge with 25,000 Jews and allies to rally against antisemitism. The march was organized by UJA-Federation of the JCRC of New York after more than 10 antisemitic acts of violence took place...
It’s hard to believe 2019 is nearly over. This year has been one of incredible growth for Avodah. From welcoming our largest cohorts ever, to expanding our program offerings, and reaching nearly 1,200 alumni, we owe so many of our milestones to you. While there is so...
During Sukkot, one of the most important actions we are called upon to take is to welcome strangers and offer shelter to guests in our sukkah. Amidst the greatest refugee crisis in recorded history, the need for shelter and protection has never been more clear. And...
During the High Holidays – the Days of Awe – we take a moment to reflect on both ourselves and the shared history of the Jewish people. Through T’shuvah – deep prayer and returning – we have the chance to renew and recommit ourselves to Tzedek...
Today’s New York Times features an amazing story about an inspirational man. Calvin Duncan served 23 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, the nation’s largest maximum security prison. During his years at Angola, Calvin worked as a “jailhouse lawyer,”...
Once again, our hearts are broken. There are no words to express how devastated we are after Saturday’s hate-filled attack at Chabad of Poway, on the close of Passover, just six months after the Pittsburgh shooting. Saturday’s event was not an isolated...
Throughout Black History Month, we honor and celebrate the numerous contributions millions of Americans have made to our country. We also know that the recognition of Black excellence and discussions about race and racism must not be relegated to just one month. To...
Over the past year, Avodah has put into place several new programmatic and organizational initiatives to help make our work more equitable, inclusive, and accessible. Many of these changes are due to feedback from our alumni, partners, and community about how we can strengthen Avodah, and we’re incredibly grateful. Below are some of the important initiatives Avodah is taking on to make our programs even stronger. Continue reading