Upcoming Events
National
Participate in Global Hunger Shabbat!
Shabbat is a powerful day -- we believe it can change the world. The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership encourages you to participate in a Shabbat dedicated to one of the most critical issues claiming lives in the world today: Global Hunger Shabbat.
Over 30 AVODAH and AJWS alumni and friends have already signed up to host meals in Brooklyn, Berkeley, Denver, Madison, Miami, Portland, DC, Melbourne, Be'er Sheva, and beyond. To date AVODAH Alumni hosting include: Noah Barish (NY 04-05), Elana Brochin (DC 06-07), Miriam Eisenberger (NY 02-03), Meredith Levy (DC 04-05), and Janna Rosenberg (DC 02-03).
Hosts will receive a variety of original programming ideas, activities and tangible ways to engage their guests in the fight against hunger.
When: Global Hunger Shabbat will be held on the weekend of March 19th-20th.
Where: Your home!
Sign-up to host: Click here.
If you are interested in attending a Global Hunger Shabbat event in your area, email Rachel Ann. We'll make every effort to match you to a hosted meal!
Bay Area
Feast of Jewish Learning: "WANDERLUST"
Join hundreds of inquisitive minds for dozens of interactive workshops on Jewish texts, philosophy, mysticism, spirituality, culture, cooking, yoga, lust and love. Taught by professors, rabbis, artists, and educators from all walks of Jewish life. At this 5th Annual Bureau of Jewish Education event, each participant can attend three 75-minute workshops. When: Sunday March 7th 11-4:30pm Where: JCCSF at 3200 California Street RSVP: Facebook or Socializr. Visit www.bjesf.org/feast to get the full scoop.
Co-sponsored by the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership.
Social Change Book Club Want to discuss current issues facing our community, country, and world? Want to read those important books you've been meaning to get to, and talk about them with folks who also care about those issues? On March 14th, the Bay Area Social Change Book Club will gather to read Finding Manana by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, Mirta Ojito. All are welcome to enjoy and discuss this memoir of Cuban exodus. When: Sunday March 14th 6-8pm Where: TBA upon RSVP RSVP: Click here. Questions? sharonhaifa@yahoo.com
Bay Area Launch of Meet the Change Meet the Change is an open invitation to change-makers from across the spectrum seeking co-conspirators for activating their Jewish and Social Justice values. Each event presents the efforts of a featured change-maker while encouraging attendees to connect with one another around their own ideas, desires, and plans for making change. Our launch event will feature Joshua Kahn Russell, Grassroots Action Coordinator at the Rainforest Action Network. Joshua has led the largest civil disobedience on Climate Change in U.S. history, helped coordinate mass actions of thousands at the United Nations, and built national coalitions and networks around ecological sanity and racial justice. Join us to hear from Joshua about his approach to social change, and network with old and new friends committed to working for justice.
When: Tuesday, March 23rd, 6-9 pm
Where: TBA
RSVP: Email Jocelyn
Refreshments will be provided; no-host bar.
Boston
Global Hunger 'Shapotluck'
Inspired by the recent Alumni Retreat, a first-ever Shabbat potluck, 'Shapotluck,' will take place March 12th. In addition to enjoying each other's company, Boston-area Alumni will join hundreds of participants across the world in learning about global food security through Global Hunger Shabbat.
When: Friday, March 12th 7pm
Where: 34 Brookside Avenue 2B (Jamaica Plain)
RSVP: Click here.
Questions: Email Elana or Myla
AVODAH and Friends' Book Club
AVODAH and Friends will gather Sunday, March 21st at 2pm (note change from usual 6pm) to discuss Empire Falls, a novel by Richard Russo.
When: Sunday, March 21st 2pm
Where: Amy Horning's house, address upon RSVP
RSVP: Email Amy Horning.
DC
Honoring David Rosenn
Please join us in honoring AVODAH's Founder and Executive Director Rabbi David Rosenn at a farewell reception. After 13 years as AVODAH's founding Executive Director, David is leaving to serve as Chief Operating Officer at the New Israel Fund. Since founding AVODAH, David has overseen an expansion of AVODAH's year-long program from one city to four and from nine Corps members per year to 65. He has also been instrumental in expanding the entire field of Jewish service through partnerships and collaborations including the Jewish Coalition for Service, Repair the World, and the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership. Please join us as we celebrate David's extraordinary vision and leadership.
When: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010, Reception at 6:30pm
Where: Religious Action Center
RSVP: Please email Ashli Gold by February 25th.
Food Justice
We will launch projects around food justice in the coming weeks. Are you interested in joining the planning committee? Contact Jessie if you'd like to learn more!
New York
Taking Back the Land: Public Space, Community Planning
How do communities win control over their public spaces? Looking forward to the development of the East River Waterfront and back to the struggle to preserve community gardens, this panel will ask how communities can harness the official planning process in the interest of their needs and visions. Learn about the stories of community gardeners who got the city to legally recognize and preserve garden spaces and the People's Plan for development of waterfront in a way that benefits surrounding communities. Participate in dialogue about the future of public space in the Lower East Side and New York City.Speakers Include: Christine Datz-Romero with Outstanding Renewal Enterprises & the Lower East Side Ecology Center and Alan Ginsberg with NYC Community Gardens Coalition and La Plaza Cultural Center a
When: Sunday March 7th, 7-9pm
Where: The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center
To register: Click here.
Sponsored by JFREJ & the Lower East Side Ecology Center.
People of the Book Club
Please join the People of the Book Club for a discussion of Edwidge Danticat's The Farming of Bones.
The novel follows a Haitian couple that has crossed the border into the
Dominican Republic during the rule of Trujillo in the 1930s, when he
orders
the mass killing of Haitians in the country.
When: Wednesday, March 3rd at 6pm
Where: 45 West 36th St.
RSVP: To slipkin@ajws.org. Need to find a copy? Try here!
Meet the Change
We are thrilled
to announce the first Meet the Change event of 2010 with Sara Horowitz, founder and executive
director of Freelancers Union.
Each Meet the Change event
presents the efforts of a featured change-maker while encouraging attendees to
connect with one another around their own ideas, desires, and plans for making
change. In addition to founding the Freelancers Union, Sara was selected as one of the 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow at the 2002 World Economic Forum and she currently serves on the boards of both the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation.
Details: Tuesday, March 23rd
Time and Location TBA.
For more information: Contact Audrey.
SAVE THE DATE: Beit Midrash - Ethics of Consumption and Meat Production
By
living in the United States, we all automatically become consumers of a
multitude of goods. As our awareness of the often abusive conditions
that the producers of these goods are subjected to increases, we must
examine our role in this system and how we can help make the system
more ethical. Join Rabbi Ari Weiss from Uri L'Tzedek and Devora
Kimelman-Block from KOL Foods as we explore these challenging questions.
When: Tuesday, April 13th from 7:30-9pm
Where: Drisha (37 W. 65th St, 5th Floor)
Brooklyn Bridge CSA
In case you missed previous announcements about this, the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership is sponsoring a Jewish and justice-oriented CSA in Brooklyn (Community Supported Agriculture). The "Brooklyn Bridge CSA" is just getting started and there are many opportunities for taking on active leadership roles. If you are interested in learning more, visit us at A CSA Grows in Brooklyn.
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Programs and Fellowships
Community Organizing Residency (Various)
The
Community Organizing Residency (COR) is a six month paid residency for
people from different faith backgrounds who want to make community
organizing their profession. COR residents will gain social justice
experience working with leading organizing groups in NYC, Chicago, LA
and the San Francisco Bay Area. The residencies will begin July 29,
2010 and end February 2, 2010. For more information, click here or contact Rachel Feldman. The application deadline is April 2, 2010
Jewish Organizing Initiative (Boston)
Want
to change the world? Organize! The Jewish Organizing Initiative (JOI)
builds a vibrant, pluralistic community of Jewish young adults who
learn grassroots community organizing, explore their Jewish identity
together, and become leaders in the pursuit of social justice. JOI's
year-long paid community organizing fellowship in Boston is a year of
field experience and professional development for young Jewish adults
(21-30) looking for the opportunity to turn good intention and raw
talent into concrete skills and action. For more information contact Rebecca or (617) 350-9994 or visit www.jewishorganizing.org. The application deadline is March 12, 2010.
Yahel Social Change Program (Israel)
Yahel
Social Change Program is a unique 5-month service learning experience
for young adults between the ages of 21 and 27. The program is based in
the town of Gedera, about 45 minutes south of Tel Aviv, and combines
hands-on volunteer work with in-depth learning and immersion. The
program is offered in collaboration with Friends by Nature - a local
grassroots non-profit organization working in the Ethiopian community
in the fields of community empowerment and education. Fall program dates are
September 26, 2010 - February 20, 2011. For more information click here. The application deadline is June 1, 2010
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AVODAH News
Farewell to David Rosenn
As of March 1st, after 13 years of vision and inspiration, David Rosenn is now the Chief Operating Officer of New Israel Fund. Look out for many opportunities to honor David in the coming months!
Recruitment Update and Gratitude
As of February 12th (the application
deadline), we have 259 applicants for next
years' Corps. That makes an applicant-to-spot ratio of 4:1 and an increase of 55%
since last year! Thanks for all you did to get us to this point including
altering your entire Facebook presence to reflect AVODAH, contacting prospective
Corps members, participating in conference calls and so much more!
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Alumni Highlights
Bike for AVODAH
Join current DC Corps member Emma Epstein on a cross-continental bike trip from DC to Seattle! Leaving in Mid-August, ending (tentatively) around mid-October, this bike tour not only combines the key components of AVODAH-Judaism and social justice, but adds the on-the-ground, environmental aspect of BIKING! If you are occupied during those months or not so confident in your biking ability, please consider showing your support in other ways-like hosting and preparing a nice hearty dinner for the bikers when they show up on your doorstep. This trip will function as a fundraising awareness endeavor for AVODAH.
Who: AVODAH Alumni new and old, bikers and friends and Jews across the continental USA
When: Approximately August 10-October 10
Where: DC-Chicago-Minneapolis-Missoula-Seattle
More information: Email Emma Epstein (DC 09-10)
Insert YOUR news 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. Email Rachel Ann with your news.
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What's Been Happening in the Community
National
Alumni Retreat for '03-'04
AVODAH Alumni from 2003-2004 had an
alumni retreat the weekend of Jan. 29th-31st in Kingston, NY. 11 alumni
attended traveling from NYC, New Haven,
Boston, Chicago, Wisconsin, and San Fransisco. They were: Rachel Benedict (NY), Ann Glazer (DC), Jodie Goldberg (DC), Jenny Halper (DC), Drew Himmelstein (DC), Karen Kranson (NY), Merav Lichtenstein (DC), Flora Margolis (NY), Jenna Mauer (DC), Aviva Moster (DC) and Becky Wolf (DC). The retreat included a
Shabbat dinner, Tu Beshvat Seder, winter hike, and Havdallah, along with various
peer-led workshops including: "Yoga Meets Dance," "The Food Issue Facing our Nation," and "Women's Issues".
Bay Area
Inside the Activists' Studio
On February 21st, over 130 people gathered together at the Contemporary Jewish Museum for the 3rd Annual Inside the Activists' Studio, despite the rain. Alums Daniel Schaefer (DC 04-05) and Emily Kates (NY 04-05) represented AVODAH in the crowd, while Caitlin Sislin (NY 01-02) inspired the crowd as a featured change-maker on the panel, moderated by local radio host Michael Krasny. In addition to the entertaining, informative, and insightful panel, the crowd enjoyed an energizing spoken word performance by local poet and activist Josh Healey (whose mother is on the AVODAH board, coincidentally!), and participated in a range of workshops. The evening ended with lots of meeting, greeting, and eating over a delicious catered spread.
Boston
AVODAH and Friends Book Club
Six alumni and five friends met in Jamaica Plains on Sunday, February 14th to discuss Colum McCann's Let The Great World Spin, watch part of the documentary Man on Wire (the unifying real-life event in the book), and share delicious food and Valentine's sweets.
Alumni Retreat
The Boston-area Alumni retreat on Sunday, February 7th was a huge success with seventeen Alumni in attendance. Jessica Polansky (NY 99-00 and AVODAH Board member) led a conference call on the "State of AVODAH" followed by a
brainstorming session about the future of the MA alumni community led by Ari
Shapiro (NY 02-03). Professor Ellen Smith of Brandeis spoke about race and the history
of Boston. Alumni-led workshops including: "Facilitative Leadership" with Ayala Livny (NY 98-99); "Local Food" with Amy Horning (DC 04-05), "The Political Economy of Climate Change" with Jason
Pollens (NY 06-07), and "International Development" with Elana Safran (NY 06-07). The day topped off with a potluck
dinner and Superbowl viewing.
New York
City Team 2009-2010: It's a Wrap!
On Thursday, February 25th, members of the 2009-2010 City Team met for the last time in their capacity as official City Team reps! The 2009-2010 team brought the community together on three separate occasions for some of the year's most compelling and creative programming. If you attended Reel Talk, What's on Your Plate, or the State of OUR Union, you have the City Team to thank for it! The AVODAH-AJWS Partnership is grateful to the City Team for their inspiring efforts and accomplishments. We are confident that every one on the team will move on to do amazing things and we look forward to continuing to collaborate in other capacities. For the record, the 2009-2010 City Team included AVODAH alumni Miriam Eisenberger (NY 02-03) and Diana Levy (NY 07-08) as well as Jackie Fishman, Mark Greenfield, Jonathan Horowitz, Tiferet Unterman, Rishauna Zumberg, and Hana Zwiebel. Many thanks to all of them for their enthusiasm and commitment. Stay tuned next month to meet the new 2010-2011 City Team members!
Hamanbashin' Purim Costume Party
On Saturday, February 27th, the AJWS-AVODAH Partnership joined JDub and Tablet Magazine at the CSV Cultural Center in the Lower East Side for a raucous, punk-themed purim party! In the spirit of the Purim directive to both celebrate and give "gifts to the poor", a share of the proceeds from ticket sales went towards local hunger and anti-poverty organizations in NYC.
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Jobs
BBYO (DC)
The world's leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement, BBYO is guided by its mission of "More Jewish teens, more meaningful Jewish experiences," and serves 6th-12th graders. BBYO's Program and Field Services departments are seeking an Administrative Associate to assist with various projects throughout the departments. The Program Department serves as a resource to 600 local BBYO chapters in 40 geographic regions. The Program Department plans conferences; summer travel, and leadership development programs; outreach initiatives; and service projects, including working with the PANIM Institute. For the complete job description, click here.
Einhorn Family Charitable Trust (NYC)
Founded in 2002, the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust's mission is to help people get along better. The Trust is committed to fostering tolerance and understanding to build a more civil society. The Trust seeks a talented, organized, self-starter to join its team to help manage the Trust's day-to-day operations and programming. The position offers the right candidate an unprecedented opportunity for learning and career growth within the field of family philanthropy. For the complete job description, click here.
Just Vision (DC)
Just Vision is a nonprofit organization that informs local and international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli civilian efforts to resolve the conflict without arms. Just Vision is seeking a Director of Communications and Outreach to be responsible for designing and implementing Just Vision's communications strategy using electronic, broadcast and print media, social media, as well as by developing executive and expert communications. Click here for the complete job description.
Oxfam America (Boston/DC)
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Oxfam America seeks an Email Advocacy Writer to retain and expand its eCommunity using online communications to engage constituents to fulfill Oxfam's mission. The Writer will draft all advocacy action alerts, action team event notices, and volunteer emails to constituents and work closely with policy and campaign leads to develop compelling email advocacy messages. Click here for the complete job description.
Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region (Sacramento)
JFSR seeks a Campaign Manager to manage the overall Annual Campaign plan of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region (JFSR) including its day-to-day operations. Other important components of this position include assisting with development and implementation of JFSR campaign related programs, and working closely with leadership and volunteers. Click here for more information.
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