Abby White serves on the Chicago Advisory Council at Avodah. She is an alum of the Avodah Justice Fellowship in Chicago. She grew up in Evanston, IL and holds a B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Michigan. After spending … Continue reading
18th Jun, 2020
Ilana Walden is the Chair of the Board serves on the Chicago Advisory Council at Avodah. Ilana Zafran Walden is a public sector and nonprofit executive leader with over 15 years of experience in developing and leading programs, initiatives, and … Continue reading
14th Mar, 2017
Sarah Thompson is the executive director of Christian Peacemaker Teams. She’s from Elkhart, Indiana (traditionally Potawatomi land) and now lives in Chicago, Illinois. She received her MDiv from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 2011 and graduated summa cum laude from … Continue reading
1st Mar, 2017
Ursula Wagner wasn’t sure if she was in the right place on her first day as an Avodah Justice Fellow, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was exactly where she belonged. Ursula is a social … Continue reading
30th Dec, 2016
Growing up as the child of a rabbi, Ben Levenson was surrounded by Jewish life, attending day school during the year and Jewish camp during the summer. As he grew older, there was a long period when he distanced himself … Continue reading
28th Dec, 2016
“On that first day, I got ready to walk into the bayit (house) in Chicago, so I checked the weather and saw that it was raining. Being from California, I thought it made sense to put on my winter boots … Continue reading
19th Jul, 2016
In 2006, we placed Ilana Zafran Walden at Umoja Student Development Corporation in Chicago, where she continued to work for over a decade. Umoja works with under-resourced high schools to help students succeed, and Ilana instantly fell in love with everything … Continue reading
19th Jul, 2016
Benetta Mansfield serves on the Board of Directors, and Chicago and San Diego Advisory Councils at Avodah. Benetta is a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience as an advocate and mediator. During her professional career in Washington, D.C., … Continue reading
15th Jul, 2016
Jessica Schaffer has worked with vulnerable communities throughout Chicago for the last 10 years, and she views that work as an extension of her Jewish identity. But that wasn’t the case when she joined the Jewish Service Corps. Before Avodah, … Continue reading
8th Jul, 2016