Upcoming Events
National
Jewish Mindfulness Retreat for Social Justice Leaders
This retreat is an opportunity for a small cohort of leaders to come together in a place of natural beauty to focus on the critical work of weaving together our spiritual and social justice lives in order to become more balanced, healthy and sustainable leaders. The retreat will be predominantly silent with a handful of talks and interactive trainings/sessions. The retreat is based in mindfulness meditation in a Jewish framework. There will be meditation, yoga, time to be on your own, nourishing kosher food and April landscapes.
When: April 2-5, 2009
Where: The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT.
Cost: $125 program fee. Room and board additional.
Brought to you by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Jewish Funds for Justice, and the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership.
For more information and to register, visit IsabellaFreedman.org/socialjustice.
Bay Area
Social Change Book Group
We'd love to have you
join us for interesting conversation and action around a variety of
social justice, environmental, education, human rights and health
issues. Our next book is The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz. The book is about a family living in the Domincan Republic under
Trujillo's rule. Light desserts and drinks will be provided.
Date: Sunday, March 15, 6:00 p.m.
Location: In the Mission, SF
RSVP: hwinig@avodah.net
Together the group will decide on future
meetings and logistics.
Golem & The Sway Machinery
The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership is pleased to cosponsor: JDub Records Presents: Golem & The Sway Machinery
Date: March 17, 2009, Show @ 8PM
Location: The Independent, 628 Divisadero St, SF
Tickets: $12; purchase here
More details to follow, stay tuned.
Feast of Jewish Learning
The AVODAH-AJWS Partnerhsip is proud to be a cosponsor of "Lost and Found: the Bureau of Jewish Education's 4th Annual Young Adult Feast of Jewish Learning.
* Join your friends for 20+ free workshops on Jewish thought, texts, philosophy, spirituality, culture, life and ove
* Taught by professors, rabbis, artists, and educators from all walks of Jewish life
* Each participant can attend three 75-minute workshops
When: Sunday, March 29, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: JCHS at 1835 Ellis Street in San Francisco
Cost: Everything is FREE! Even garage parking!
RSVP: To Mariana Roytman Schiffner at bjefeast@gmail.com
For more details, visit www.bjesf.org/feast
Boston
Book Club
In
honor of Women's History Month, the book club will be reading Half of a Yellow Sun
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
When: Sunday, March 1, 6:00 p.m.
Where: The home of Annalise George
RSVP: To Annalise; please let her
know if you will be coming and if/what food you will bring to share.
DC
Exodus and Revolution
Exodus
and Revolution, by Michael Walzer, traces the dynamics of revolution,
redemption and liberation through the biblical story of the Israelites
leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. It also examines later retellings
of Exodus by diverse groups including classical rabbinic interpreters
and political actors who used the story as the rallying point for their
own revolutionary struggles.
Coming to DC from NYC, this
4-week course will unpack Exodus and Revolution through intensive
learning in chevrutah (in pairs) and through facilitated discussions.
The primary instructor for the course is Rabbi Erica Asch, AJWS alumna
and community organizer with the Washington Interfaith Network.
Dates: Weekly, starting on Thursday March 12th and ending on Thursday, April 2nd
**The course will end just in time for you to bring your newfound insights to your Passover Seder!
Location: 6th & I Synagogue
Register: Here
Co-Sponsored by: 6th & I Synagogue, Jews United for Justice, Moishe House Silver Spring and Moishe House DC
New York
AVODAH / AJWS / Hazon Book Club
Please
join us for our next book club discussion on Emma Larkin's Finding George Orwell in Burma. AJWS alum Emily Gold will be facilitating
the discussion. We will also be reading Orwell's short story "Shooting An Elephant," available online at http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/887.
The book club is open to staff, alumni, and friends of our
organizations.
When: Tuesday, March 3, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where:
AJWS Office, 45 West 36th St., 10th Floor
RSVP:
To Suzanne Lipkin
Three-Part
Series on Michael Walzer's Exodus and Revolution
Exodus
and Revolution, by
Michael Walzer, traces the dynamics of revolution, redemption and liberation
through the biblical story of the Israelites leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. It
also examines later retellings of Exodus by diverse groups including classical
rabbinic interpreters and political actors who used the story as the rallying
point for their own revolutionary struggles.
Back by
popular demand,
this 3-week course will unpack Exodus and Revolution through facilitated
discussions and through intensive learning in chevrutah (in pairs). The
instructor for the course is Rabbi Brent Spodek, Director of Jewish
Communal Relations at American Jewish World Service.
Dates: Weekly, starting on Wednesday March
11th and ending on Wednesday, March 25th
**The course will end just in time for you to bring your newfound insights
to your Passover Seder!
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Manhattan
(precise location revealed upon registration)
Cost: Free (other than the cost of the book, which is available new and
used on Amazon.com)
To Register: Click here
Board Service for Social
Change
The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership is pleased to offer an intensive training to support
you to use your talent and passion to serve on the board of directors of a
non-profit organization. Boards of directors play a critical role in setting
institutional policy and direction, overseeing fiscal health, and charting the
course for an organization's future. If you are
young, Jewish, and committed to making change, and you currently serve on a
board of directors or hope to do so in the near future, we invite you to submit
an application for this training. You'll
be exposed to a detailed overview of board service, gain specific skills
related to this form of leadership, and access a network of other Jewish
change-makers looking to put their passion to work through this medium.
Sessions will be
held Sundays, March 22 and 29 and
applications are due by March 2nd.
For more information, including how to apply, contact Audrey.
|
What's Been Happening in the Community?
Bay Area
On February 8,
the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership co-presented a wildly successful community
eco-seder celebrating Tu B'Shvat. With our twenty cosponsors and partners,
we made connections between Jewish values and the environmental
sustainability movement. Nearly 250 people participated on a rainy
Sunday afternoon with tons of local, organic, and kosher fresh produce,
dried fruits, nuts, juice and wine. We
ate, drank and were merry for the trees as only tree-hugging San
Franciscans can be. Alums Jess Beitch (NY 05-06) and Drew Himmelstein
(DC 03-04) added to the wonderful feeling of community at the event!
On the rainy Sunday afternoon of February
22, the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership and numerous cosponsors and partners felt inspired and
energized from the amazing panel and workshops at our 2nd annual Inside the Activists' Studio.
Over 140 people listened and participated in a wide range of topics
including corporate philanthropy, birth, organic catering, food
justice, new media, international institution accountability,
Jewish-Muslim coexistence, hip-hop, fair trade, and much more. The
event wonderfully captured the Partnership's mission to strengthen the
Jewish social justice movement through community building and training
for more effective social change. Alums in attendance included Jessica
Beitch (NY 05-06) and Emily Kates (NY 04-05).
An alumni gathering was held while
National Director for Alumni and Leadership Development Rachel Chertok
was in town last week. Local all-star alums Jess Beitch (NY 05-06), Emily
Kates (NY 04-05), and Drew Himmelstein (DC 03-04) all got together along with new Partnership
Program Officer Jocelyn Berger for a casual dinner to reconnect. Jocelyn is looking forward to meeting all of the Bay Area alums at
future events or over coffee. You can reach Jocelyn at jberger@avodah.net.
DC
Nearly 110 alumni and friends gathered at 6th & I Synagogue for a Tu B'Shvat seder
hosted by Shomrei Adamah of Greater Washington, and co-sponsored by the
AVODAH-AJWS Partnership, Jews United for Justice, BirthrightNEXT,
Moishe House, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, Hazon, and
others. It was a green and just celebration using re-usable dishware,
as much local, organic produce as possible, fair trade organic
beverages when possible, and more! It was a wonderful way to gather
our rapidly growing community and to practice living our values as we
plan events.
The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership recently launched a cohort of Justice and Jewish Thought,
a 12 week class developed with Jews United for Justice. The cohort of 13 awesome alumni and friends includes AVODAH alumni Jeff Gluckman (DC 07-08) and Jen Roberts (NY 98-99).
The group is learning together in community about race, class, gender,
sexual identity, and oppression.
Israel
On February 15, AVODAH alumni in Israel gathered in Jerusalem. In attendance were Brian Fink (NY 99-00), Jenny Ackerman (NY 03-04), Joline
Price (CHI 07-08), Margaret O'Connor (DC 07-08), Sarah Lesser (DC 06-07), and Meredith Levy (DC 04-05).
New York
On Tuesday, January 27, the AVODAH-AJWS-Hazon Book
Club gathered to discuss Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. AJWS grants officer Diego Merino facilitated a dialogue-friendly discussion atmosphere that included defining the terms Freire used, speaking about our
own best educational experiences, and determining what exactly is meant by a pedagogy of the oppressed.
On Sunday, February 8,
more than 100 people gathered at the JCC in Manhattan for Hazon's annual Tu B'Shvat Seder. Each of the Seder rituals
and meditations was led by different leaders in the community, ranging from AVODAH's very own Rabbi David Rosenn to Miriam Fogelson, an AJWS alum and leader in
her own right. Guests were invited to write themselves a letter committing to some kind of
environmental action, which Hazon will mail out to them later this year. The meal was delicious, the rituals were rich
and meaningful, the teachings were profound and insightful, and the sense of
community was palpable. AVODAH
alums in attendance included Jessica Polansky (NY 99-00), Jen Bloustine (NY 00-01), and Lisa Ochs (NY 00-01).
| |
AVODAH News
AVODAH in the News
David Eber, a Corps member in New
Orleans, was featured in an article in the Portland Jewish Review. The article is
entitled: "Salem man heals the world in the Lower Ninth Ward". This is a follow-up piece on an article
that appeared in the Portland Jewish Review in January about David and three other people from
Portland who are participating in AVODAH.
How much can you
GET?
At the alumni retreat we
discussed having a goal of getting one hundred alumni to raise $500 and reach out to at
least thirty people by the end of April. No need to get gory,
but you all see what is happening in the economy, so finding more small (or
large) donors is extremely helpful.
If everyone just sent word about
AVODAH to at least thirty people that is over 6,000 folks who hear about AVODAH. That is huge! If all the alumni meet or exceed the goal of $500 that's
INCREDIBLE. Whoa. Getting excited just thinking about
it.
Please join me, and get started
TODAY. To learn about how to set up a fundraising page and for some fundraising tips, read the
materials available here.
Thanks,
Yosh
Schulman (NY 98-99)
|
Alumni
Highlights
Sarah Beller (DC 03-04) was spotlighted in the Bronfman Youth Fellowships In Israel newsletter. Sarah's been up to some fantastic stuff which you can see for yourself here.
Do you
have news that you want to share with the AVODAH alumni community? Do you
want to see your name in e-print? Please tell us about all the great stuff you
are up to so we can feature you in our alumni
highlights.
|
Awards and Fellowships
ADAMAH Fellowship (Connecticut)
Integrating organic farming, sustainable living, Jewish
learning, and contemplative spiritual practice, the ADAMAH Fellowship is a
3-month leadership training program in the Connecticut Berkshires for Jewish
young adults between the ages of 20-29. Farming, fermenting pickles, brewing biodiesel,
composting, learning, singing, sharing personal stories, and expressing
gratitude form the web of activities. ADAMAH fellows participate in leadership
training, and ecological and Jewish seminars with residential and visiting
faculty. Benefits include kosher meals, housing, learning opportunities, and
health insurance. Fourteen fellows will be selected for both the summer and for the fall. Those who are
yearning to work in the soil, share deeply, and explore spiritually will thrive
in this pluralistic Jewish intentional community.
WHERE: At the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in
the Connecticut Berkshires
WHEN: Summer Season: May 24 - September 7 Fall
Season: Sept 13 - December 13
HOW TO APPLY: Learn more and download an
application at www.adamah.org.
Hollander
Social Justice Fellowship
Do you have a social justice cause
you are passionate about and want to pursue with the National Havurah Committee
Summer Institute community? Apply for the Hollander Social Justice Fellowship.
You will receive a $400 scholarship towards Institute fees and up to $100 for
materials or preparation, in exchange for planning social justice oriented
programming for the NHC Summer Institute community. Your proposal needs to
include at least three hours of programming on a relevant and nonpartisan social
justice issue. To apply, please contact hollanderfellow@havurah.org. The
application deadline is March 30, 2009. For more information on the NHC and the
Summer Institute 2009, please visit http://www.havurah.org/.
Kayam Farm Summer
Fellowship (Maryland)
The mission of Kayam Farm at the Pearlstone Center is to
model and inspire social and ecological responsibility by engaging the community
in hands-on Jewish agricultural education. Entering its third season, the Kayam
Summer Fellowship brings together talented, passionate young Jews who farm,
teach, and live together. The fellowship runs June 8th-August
23rd. Fellows receive a $1,600 stipend in three payments over the
course of the summer, plus room & board. Fellows also receive health
insurance through Pearlstone. Upon completion of the fellowship, fellows receive
a Certificate in Jewish Community Gardening and Jewish Environmental Education.
For more information or to apply, please contact jakir@pearlstonecenter.org.
|
Programs
Professional Development Institute
This spring BBYO will be admitting 10 to 12 professionals
into its Professional Development Institute (PDI), a three year program where,
in addition to doing leadership development work with Jewish teens in one of
many communities across the country, participants will receive an MBA from the
Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a Certificate in Informal
Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Boston. During the three years of the
program, the participant will receive a full-time competitive salary,
health/retirement benefits, a professional mentor, travel opportunities and an
MBA from a top 20 business school at no cost to the professional.
For more information on how to join BBYO's team and start your
professional development journey this summer, please visit BBYO's website at www.mbaforfree.org and send your resume
to pdi@bbyo.org.
|
Jobs
Be'chol Lashon
Be'chol Lashon (In Every Tongue), a San
Francisco based, innovative non-profit promoting Jewish
diversity and inclusiveness, is are
interviewing for a full-time, experienced Program Coordinator position. The position includes coordination in all
or some of the following areas depending on experience and skill sets: events,
community development projects, curriculum, website, e-newsletter, media awards,
speakers' bureau, international conference, database, budgets, proposals, and
reports. Check out www.bechollashon.org for more information. Interested candidates are encouraged to send in a resume to Esther Gibian Fishman, Program
Manager, Be'chol Lashon (In Every
Tongue).
Corporate
Accountability International (Boston)
Corporate
Accountability International (CAI) has been running winning campaigns to
challenge corporate abuse for the past 30 years. CAI is in the middle of a major
expansion, working to build the organization to be able to run more and better
campaigns, and is hiring talented, experienced staff for several key positions:
an Associate Campaigns Director, to work as a lead member of the Campaigns Team
to develop and implement CAI's organizing strategy; a Senior Campaigns
Organizer, responsible for developing and implementing campaign strategies and
tactics and for mobilizing and expanding CAI's base of activists and allies in
the US and internationally; and a National Field Organizer, responsible for
implementing campaign strategies and tactics, and for mobilizing and expanding
CAI's base of activists and allies in the US and internationally. For the
complete job descriptions, please visit http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/.
Mujeres
Unidas y Activas (Bay Area)
Mujeres Unidas y Activas is
a grassroots Latina immigrant women's community organizing and
empowerment program composed of a membership of over 400 Latina
immigrant women with offices in San Francisco and Oakland. MUA is
seeking a Grassroots Fundraiser who will help build its organizational
power and capacity by planning and managing MUA's grassroots
fundraising efforts, training and mentoring members to take on
fundraising work, and providing administrative support to the
Co-Director for Development and Administration. For more information or
to apply, please contact andrea@mujeresunidas.net.
Pardes
(NYC)
Pardes and the American Pardes
Foundation are
excited to announce a new opportunity as they restructure the American Pardes
Foundation. Pardes is looking to hire an Assistant Director who will serve a
very important function as the number two position of the US office. The
Assistant Director will report to the Executive Director and will play a key
role in managing the annual fundraising campaign, as well as oversee the APF
budget and finances. S/he will also cultivate and solicit donors in support of
Pardes's annual campaign. For more information or to apply, please contact
resume@pardesusa.org.
The
Pluralism Fund (NYC)
The Pluralism Fund is a new
nonprofit 501(c)(3) member organization committed to supporting the development
of pluralistic civil society in majority Muslim countries in the Middle East and
Central Asia. The Fund currently has two
countries of focus: Iran and
Pakistan. Its mission is to promote
pluralism, tolerance and respect for the rights of all, particularly women. Its
goals are also to build an engaged, informed community in the
US in support of its mission and to
encourage international philanthropy. The Fund pursues its mission by providing
grants to established grassroots organizations in the countries of focus and
conducting educational programs within the United States.
Principal funding is provided by Pluralism Fund members and the foundation
community. The Fund seeks an Executive Director to play a critical role in
advancing the organization's mission. For more information or to apply, please
contact PluralismFundED@aol.com.
| |
