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 Members who did not have personal vehicles at their placement organizations so that they could avoid public transportation.

Today’s attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol proved the importance of safeguarding our democracy. Elections and the peaceful transfer of power are at the very heart of American democracy. The momentous events of today confirm that we may not take these cornerstones of our democracy for granted.

We are sad and angered by the events taking place today, and by the myriad actions and irresponsible rhetoric that led to this. While the scenes from Capitol Hill, which included Confederate flags, a giant cross, and Nazi imagery, are shocking, they are not surprising. We have seen these acts of white supremacy more and more emboldened each year. Today, we are reminded that our systems of democracy are fragile – especially when those who abuse their power feel threatened by the loss of it. We were also reminded that there are two systems of justice in this country, as we witnessed the blatantly unbalanced way today’s violent extremists were treated as compared to the treatment of Black protestors and other marginalized groups in racial justice protests this past summer.

This is why leadership matters – leadership guided by compassion, integrity, a sense of justice, and a moral compass. Developing leaders driven by these values is at the core of Avodah’s work. We train our participants to be the kind of leaders we need in moments like this and in the moments that will come after this. We are committed to supporting the Avodah community of leaders who will not stand for the corrosion of our democracy, and who we trust will help build the future our country needs and deserves.

Olam Chesed Yibaneh. We will build this world with love.

Cheryl Cook,
CEO Avodah