Life After Avodah
What kinds of work do alumni do after Avodah?
All kinds! Our alumni are educators, organizers, social workers, lawyers, health care professionals, activists, campaign managers, clergy, non-profit staffers, Jewish professionals, artists, and much more. 32% continue to work at their placement organizations!
And when our alumni are ready to change jobs or career paths, there are a ton of Avodah resources available to help them—from informational interviews and networking within our community, access to professional development workshops through Avodah, communities of praxis for particular professions, graduate school databases, career advice, support on their resumes and application materials, reference letters, and more!
What are the benefits to joining Avodah’s alumni community?
So many! When you become an alum, you join an 1,700+ network of Jewish social justice leaders all over the country. Alumni have access to a vast array of virtual learning sessions, working groups, and coaching programs, and can also apply for a subsidy to host their own local gatherings or reunions.
You’ll have access to listservs and databases that are constantly circulating jobs, housing opportunities, actions, professional development opportunities, Shabbat dinner invites, information interviews, gift guides, educational resources, and more.
Not to mention, there are plenty of ways to stay involved with Avodah, whether it’s leading a program for our participants, attending a local community event or celebration, serving as a Fundraising Mentor to incoming Corps Members, or participating in interviews.
Alumni and participants also get access to incredible benefits at partner institutions, with access to merit scholarships of $5,000 and waived application fees for eligible programs at Hebrew Union College, and tuition reductions of 15% (and the potential for further scholarships) for online graduate programs at the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University.
The Jewish Service Corps may only last a year, but you’ll get to stay connected to Jewish social justice community and opportunities for life.
Does participating in the Jewish Service Corps help with grad school?
Definitely! Many of our Corps Members use the Service Corps as a gap year before going on to receive a higher education degree in law, social work, education, and more.
The Service Corps is a great opportunity to receive some tangible, on-the-ground experience to ground your time in grad school, while also giving you an opportunity to build powerful relationships that will sustain you in your future work. Our alumni network has abundant resources and opportunities to connect with alumni who went to particular graduate schools or down particular career paths, and many Corps Members find support from our community in choosing and applying to different graduate programs.
Plus, alumni and participants get access to tangible benefits at incredible partner institutions, with access to merit scholarships of $5,000 and waived application fees for eligible programs at Hebrew Union College, and tuition reductions of 15% (and potential additional scholarships) for online graduate programs the at the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University, including their Jewish Professional Leadership program.