Serving

Avodah provides on-the-ground economic justice organizations with vetted Corps Members who fill much needed entry-level roles at a highly subsidized cost to the placement. By volunteering their time and labor in a role the organization normally could not afford to support, Corps Members add valuable capacity that allows our placement organizations to expand the scope of their work and enhance their impact on the community they are serving.

What are job placements like?

Corps Members serve at local nonprofits working on crucial economic and social justice issues including: climate and environmental justice, the criminal legal system, education and youth development, employment services, food insecurity, gender-based violence, healthcare, housing insecurity, immigration and refugee resettlement, Jewish community and belonging, LGTBQIA+ advocacy and services, senior services, and more. Most of our placements offer roles in direct service, where applicants work directly with clients to provide services (i.e. case management, teaching, staffing medical clinics). Some placements may also offer roles in advocacy (i.e. legal services) or community organizing (for workers’ rights, tenants’ rights, etc). Wherever you match, your job placement will provide an on-the-ground experience that will be transferable to many roles post-service year, and that will help you refine your next steps. Check out our current placement organizations and sample job descriptions.

Can I take on other work while I’m a Corps Member? 

In order to ensure your ability to focus on Avodah-related activities and still find time for downtime and other personal activities, you may not take classes, hold a part-time job, or do extensive volunteer work for the first four months of the program year. After that, we ask that you limit extra commitments to five hours per week so that you can participate fully in the Avodah community.

What kinds of work do alumni do after the Service Corps?

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. Nearly 30% even stay on with their placement organizations! Read about some of our alumni stories here.

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!