Upcoming Events
Bay Area
Food Justice: It's What's for Dinner
AVODAH:The Jewish Service Corps & AJWS, in partnership with the Progressive Jewish Alliance, invites you to join us for a community event featuring Mollie Katzen (best-selling author of the groundbreaking "bible of vegetarian cooking," The Moosewood Cookbook
among numerous other cookbooks), a delicious local organic buffet
dinner, a foodie social justice networking bazaar, a preview of the
film Food Stamped, and a panel discussion with local food justice activists.
When: September 9th 6:00-9:00pm
Where: David Brower Center
RSVP: Register in advance online at Brown Paper Tickets.
Proceeds go to City Slicker Farms: Growing Affordable Fresh Produce for West Oakland.
JDub Records Presents: Hidden Melodies Revealed
Part ritual,
part rock concert. A secret celebration of Rosh Hashana with The Sway
Machinery, featuring members of Balkan Beat Box, Arcade Fire &
Beirut.
When: Saturday, September 19th
Where: At The Sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco
RSVP: with full name and # in your party to info@jdubrecords.org, with SF HMR in the subject line.
Entry is first come, first serve.
Made possible with support from The Goldman Fund and the Koret Foundation.
The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership is pleased to be a Community Partner for this exciting event! The
event is co-sponsored by Tablet, Reboot/10Q, The Hub at JCCSF, Myspace
Music, The Six Points Fellowship and Congregation Emanu-El.
www.hiddenmelodies.com
Boston
September Book Club
The Boston Social Justice Book Club will meet to discuss On Love by Alain de Botton.
When: Sunday, September 13th at 2:00pm
Where: Available upon RSVP
RSVP: Rony Kubat
DC
MITZVAHStock: A Day of Service and Celebration
Join with us and be a part of the President's United We Serve
initiative. In collaboration with more than a dozen Jewish
organizations, we will learn about issues that the District faces, and
volunteer at two locations that make the city a better place to be.
When: September 13th, 2009
Where: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Building Futures.
RSVP: Click here to register. Registration closes September 8th
Gleaning
Keep your eyes peeled! The AVODAH-AJWS
Partnership is investigating ways to get our hands dirty this fall.
Are you interested in the biblical imperative to Glean - collecting
leftover crops from farmers' fields? We have many local farms willing
to share their produce with people most in need of food, and the
Partnership would like to help!
When: TBD, late September
Where: TBD
RSVP: If you are interested, please email Jessie.
New York
Justice and Jewish Thought
On September 15th, the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership will be launching Justice and Jewish Thought, a city-wide
study group that will meet this fall in small groups of ten on a weekly basis from September through December, 2009. The
groups will engage with a challenging curriculum that explores how
various oppressions, such as race, class, gender, sexual identity, and
anti-semitism, intersect with and affect our identities as Jews, our
Jewish practices, and our work for social justice. Readings will
include works by Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, Judith Plaskow, Paul Kivel, April Rosenblum, and others. Katie Goldstein
(NY 07-08) will be taking on an official leadership role, along with
other talented members of the wider community. Registration is
officially closed but if you want to learn more about the program,
please be in touch with Audrey.
Social Justice Book Club
The AVODAH-AJWS-Hazon Book Club will be meeting in late September (date TBD) to discuss The Tenants of Moonbloom by Edward Lewis Wallant. Stay tuned for more details!
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What's Been Happening in the Community
Bay Area
Organizational Leadership for Social Change: A Board Service Training
Fourteen Partnership participants received an intensive training in nonprofit
organizations, governance, and stewardship. Stay tuned for upcoming follow-up programs, open to the
entire community!
Social Change Shabbat Dinner
Over
thirty people attended the Bay Area City Team's second Shabbat dinner
series, held in two homes in San Francisco on August 21st. AVODAH alum
Emily Kates (NY 04-05) was one of the fearless organizers/co-hosts, and
Rachel Bennett (NY 06-07) also attended one of the meals. Folks
gathered over potluck dishes to meet one another and explore themes of
love and justice in the month of Elul, amongst other Jewish and social
justice topics. Our next communal meal and discussion will be in
October, join us as we keep growing! To get involved, email
sfcityteam@gmail.com.
Social Change Book Club
On Sunday, August 23rd, the stalwart Social Change Book Club met again to discuss the yet-to-be-released book, Baking Cakes in Kigalle
by Gaile Parkin. Ubiquitous AVODAH alum Emily Kates (NY 04-05) was
there, and notes from the group's lively discussion will help formulate
the official study guide to be published with the book by Random
House. The book club is deciding on the next selection and will meet
again this fall. Email sharonhaifa@gmail.com for more info.
Boston
Book Club
The Boston Social Justice Book Club continued in full force in August!
Four alumni and two friends met to discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston on Sunday, August 9th.
DC
Food Justice BBQ
Nearly eighty alumni and friends came together at Moishe House Silver
Spring to eat Kosher, Organic, Local hamburgers, lots of local produce,
and hear from members of our community about the intersection of local
food systems, worker justice, and environmental health. Devora
Kimmelman-Block, founder of KOL Foods, Jacob Feinspan, director of
JUFJ, and others shared ways we can make individual and communal
changes to create a fair and sustainable food system.
Move in and Welcome
August was filled with preparing the new houses - we are grateful to
the alumni who took time to help us find the new house, prepare them
for move in, and welcome the corps members at the end of the month!
New York
Social Justice Book Club
On Tuesday, August 4, the book club met to discuss The Yacoubian Building by
Alaa al Aswany. This controversial Egyptian bestseller became the most
expensive Egyptian film ever made, and much of our discussion centered
on contemporary Egypt and its role in the novel. AJWS staff member
Alexis Kort shared her background in Islamic studies as facilitator,
and AVODAH staff member Annie Schiff attended.
New Bayit
In
New York City, all eighteen Corps members will reside in a single house in
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Over the past month, members of all parts of
the AVODAH community stepped up to the plate to make the move and help
Corps Members move in. Whether sweating it out in 90 degree heat to
move houses or giving Corps members tours of their new neighborhood,
Alumni played a major role in laying out the welcoming mat to AVODAH!
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Fellowships
Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service
The Research Center for Leadership in Action at NYU's
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service is pleased to announce that
applications are now available for the 2010 Fellowship for Emerging Leaders
in Public Service.
The Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service is an eight-month
professional development program for a select group of thirty talented young public
service professionals.
We encourage applications from individuals working full-time in public
service in the New York City
area. Applications must be submitted online by 5:00pm EST on Wednesday,
September 16, 2009 here.
For more information, please click here.
Jeremiah
Fellowship (DC)
Jews United for Justice is proud to
partner with the Progressive Jewish Alliance in bringing an exciting new
fellowship program to Washington, DC! The Jeremiah Fellowship educates and
trains a select cohort of young adults (ages 25-35) to become the next
generation of Jewish social justice change makers. Applications for the Jeremiah
Fellowship will be considered on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of
September 8th. To download an application and get more information, click here.
NIF/SHATIL Social Justice
Fellowship (Israel)
The
NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowships enable a cadre of post-college Jewish
young adults to spend ten months immersed in the movement for social change in
Israel. These Fellowships, which
include a modest stipend, place young Jewish activists in Israeli
non-governmental organizations for a year of in-depth contribution and learning.
For more information, including application materials, click here.
The Fellowship year runs from September 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011 and completed
applications, including two letters of reference, are due on Friday, January
29th, 2010.
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Alumni Highlights
Ilana Zafran's (CHI 06-07) continued work on food justice at her AVODAH placement,
Umoja, is available for public consumption on Youtube. Click here to
view this video and see one group of Chicago teens' attempt to learn and
educate about food inequity in their community.
Ilana worked on all facets of the project: conducting community based
research; youth development; and partnering with Free Spirit Media for
the video.
Calling all Food Justice and Hunger Workers!
Do you work with food justice or hunger as a professional or lay leader? We want to hear from you! Email Rachel Chertok to tell us about your work.
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AVODAH News
New Staff Welcome
Sarra Alpert was an AVODAH Corps member in New
York in Year 5, has been an enthusiastic member of the alumni community
leadership committees and retreat planning groups, and is very excited
to now join the staff team and take on a new role within the AVODAH
community. For the past four years, Sarra taught an expository writing
course at New York University that focused on engaged critical
thinking, analysis and reflection. She has also taught social justice
education at the Cornerstone Seminar for the Foundation for Jewish
Camp, Hebrew school at Kolot Chayeinu in Brooklyn, and staff training
and leadership development at Camp Ramah in California.
Sarra likes Shabbat dinners, reading on the subway and walking around New York.
AVODAH Partner in the New York Times
A longtime NYC AVODAH placement, Project Renewal,
was featured prominently in the New York Times. Project Renewal is a
Manhattan based non-profit that helps the homeless, the addicted and
the mentally ill. The article provided a portrait of Renewal Farm, one
of the non-profit's innovative projects, run by recovering addicts and
alcoholics. To read the full article click here. This years' Project Renewal Corps member will work as a counselor and
teacher with clients who are turning the corner in overcoming their
homelessness.
Jewish Social Justice in Africa
A recent JTA Article about AJWS's work in Uganda contained a quote from incoming Chicago Corps member Faigy Abdelhak!
Click here to read the full article.
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Jobs
AVODAH (Chicago)
AVODAH is seeking a Program Director who will plan and implement the
educational, work-related, and community-building aspects of AVODAH's year-long
program in Chicago.
The Program Director will be the primary resource for Corps members and serve
as liaison to Chicago-area worksites. He or she will also play a key role in
AVODAH's national network of program staff.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone whose own work and life is
defined by a commitment to connecting work for social change and Jewish life.
Qualifications include: 4-5 years work experience in the field of social
change, experience with team-building and skills-training, familiarity with and
respect for a wide range of expressions of Jewish life, interest in leadership
development for people in their early 20s, and the ability to prioritize and
multi-task. Established
connections to local activists and Jewish leaders preferred but not required.
Competitive salary and benefits. Email resume and cover letter only to
Jevera Temsky at pdchicago@avodah.net. For a more detailed job description, click here.
AVODAH (Chicago)
AVODAH is
currently seeking applications for the Administrative Coordinator position to
work in our Chicago
office.
The Administrative Coordinator is responsible
for ongoing administrative and operating functions for the Chicago site. We are looking for a
meticulously organized person, with an exceptional eye for detail and strong
writing, editing and computer skills.
Please email cover letter, resume, and three
references to Jackie Kaplan, Chicago Site Director, at acjob@avodah.net
Jewish Funds for Justice (NYC)
Jewish Funds for Justice's service learning programs engage teens,
families, college students, and adults in hands-on community service,
study of related social and economic issues, learning Jewish approaches
to service and justice, and powerful experiences of Jewish living.
The Director of Service Learning will oversee all aspects of the
Service Learning department. To apply, please e-mail cover letter and
resume to jobs@jewishjustice.org.
Center for Leadership Initiatives
(Vancouver)
The Center for Leadership
Initiatives, Inc. (CLI) is an operating foundation that develops Jewish leaders
and promotes managerial excellence throughout the Jewish community through
crafted gatherings and trainings, networking, and a host of online resources.
CLI has received a grant from Genesis Philanthropy Group to develop a
comprehensive approach to cultivating leadership skills among Russian-speaking
Jews working in the Jewish communal sector and Russian-speaking Jewish young
adults in North America. To achieve this goal,
CLI seeks to contract with a Program Coordinator to direct and oversee this
project. For the complete job description, please click here.
The application deadline is September 14, 2009.
Crown
Heights Community
Mediation Center
(NYC)
The Crown Heights Community Mediation Center, current AVODAH placement, is hiring for three Americorps
positions. The Crown Heights Community
Mediation Center
is a unique neighborhood institution that works to improve community
problem-solving, collaboration, and inter-group relations in Crown Heights,
Brooklyn. For more information, click here.
Citizen Schools
(NYC)
Citizen
Schools is a leading national education initiative that uniquely mobilizes
hundreds of staff and thousands of adult volunteers to help improve student
achievement. Citizen Schools seeks a NYC Campus Director to lead a unique
after-school educational program that engages eighty middle school youth, more than thirty community volunteers, and 5-10 full-time and part-time staff. For the
complete job description, please click here.
ENCOUNTER (NYC)
ENCOUNTER is an educational organization dedicated
to providing Jewish
Diaspora leaders from across the religious and political spectrum with
exposure to Palestinian life. Through ground-breaking tours to
Palestinian cities, dialogue facilitation trainings, and follow-up
programming in North America, ENCOUNTER is creating breakthroughs in
understanding and conflict transformation between Jews and Arabs as
well as between Jews and other Jews.
ENCOUNTER seeks a Deputy Director who will
join us at this pivotal time to help
us accomplish our mission and sustain our continued growth. This newly
created position will play a critical leadership role in ENCOUNTER's
small North American team, working closely with the Executive Director
in all management and fundraising responsibilities. For more
information click
here.
Nathan
Cummings Foundation (NYC)
The
Nathan Cummings Foundation is a national grant-making organization, rooted in
the Jewish tradition, and dedicated to the well being of all people. It currently makes grants in four major
program areas: Arts and Culture; Health; Jewish Life and Values; and Ecological
Innovation / Contemplative Practice. The Foundation is currently seeking a
Program Assistant to provide program, board, special event and administrative
support. For more information click here. The
application deadline is September 25th.
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