Patrick Tomasso; Unsplash
At the start of Avodah programs, we begin with journey maps. Participants chart out the experiences and communities and specific moments that brought them to this program, and shaped their Jewish identities and interest in social justice.
Jewish educational spaces show up all across those maps – day schools, Hebrew schools, camps, JCCs, formal and informal gatherings that helped these leaders establish their sense of what Jewishness means to them. Often, part of that is how those spaces helped to spark participants’ understanding of the world’s ills and how to address them; they share stories of projects, speakers, rich conversation and deep learning that provided them with tools to explore challenging and essential topics.
The connection feels natural: of course our Jewish educational spaces should help to shape our moral compass and our sense of responsibility in the world. Pursuit of justice is a core element of Jewishness (from text to history to culture) and it becomes only more important in how newer generations define their Jewish identity, especially as our community becomes more diverse in many ways.
There are so many rich and important questions that are being explored in how we keep Jewish education relevant to today’s youth — from how we engage with identity to how we work to address injustices within our communities – all of which matters immensely in ensuring the vibrance and sustainability of our Jewish communities.
At the Avodah Institute, we’re excited to support this crucial effort through an upcoming, brand-new cohort of our flagship Leadership for Social Change program.
This cohort will be dedicated specifically to folks living in Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Columbus and their surrounding areas who are leading educational spaces for Jewish youth. In honor of our application launch today, we’ve dedicated this month’s Gathering to exploring topics at this intersection of Judaism, justice, education and youth.
— Sarra Alpert, Director, Avodah Institute for Social Change
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