AVODAH News
AVODAH Welcomes Marilyn Sneiderman as Executive Director
Marilyn Sneiderman has
just been appointed Executive Director of AVODAH. Sneiderman will begin her
duties on July 26, 2010. Sneiderman has spent much of her life as a community
and union organizer dedicated to fighting poverty. Prior to coming to AVODAH,
Marilyn worked at B'nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) as Deputy Director and
Chief Field Officer. During her tenure at BBYO she revamped their entire field
organization to help transform BBYO into one of the country's premier
Jewish teenage leadership development organizations. Prior to joining BBYO, she
directed the Department of Field Mobilization for the AFL-CIO from 1996-2005.
Under Sneiderman's leadership, she launched a national initiative
designed to unite community, union, religious, and civil/immigrant rights
groups regionally and nationally to campaign for decent jobs, better schools,
and social and economic justice in communities around the country. Read more.
Celebrating AVODAH's Partners in Justice- Chicago
AVODAH Chicago celebrated its third Partners in Justice event on June 2, honoring Adam Goss and Marcia Lipetz. Corps member Eve Shapiro gave
the
keynote speech, describing her experience working as an organizer at
the Lakeview Action Coalition and the impact that the AVODAH community
has
had on her ability to sustain and engage with this work. Seventeen alumni attended the event and provided invaluable volunteer assistance. The
event raised $45,000 for AVODAH and brought together about two
hundred people to celebrate our work and that of Adam and Marcia.
Alumni Challenge Gift - Success! We
did it! We surpassed our goal of having 136 alumni donate to AVODAH and
we will receive the $5,000 challenge grant. In total, alumni have
given over $15,000 to AVODAH, and with the $5,000 gift, Alumni have raised over
$20,000 together. Thank you for your donations to AVODAH and a special thank
you to everyone who has made recurring commitments to AVODAH to continue to
sustain our work.
Pursue: Action for a Just World and AVODAH News round-up:
- AVODAH NYC Corps member Elana Baurer was interviewed for Repair the World's blog. Read more.
- AVODAH and placement DC Placement agency La Clinica del Pueblo were featured on Repair the World. Read more.
- The Launch of Pursue was featured on eJewishPhilanthropy.com. Read more.
AVODAH Alumni Staff Transitions
Rachel Chertok will
soon be transitioning out of her position as the National Director for Alumni
and Leadership Development at AVODAH and Co-director of Pursue. Rachel is moving on to other pursuits in the Boston area, including strengthening EachOne
TeachOne, (the nonprofit she founded in Panama in 2006 - www.teachone.org). Her last day of work
will be Monday, July 12th. AVODAH Program Associate, Rachel Ann Gross, will
continue to coordinate Alumni online community building and communications
efforts. Merrill Zack will be the main point person for
Pursue.
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Alumni In Action
Yael Kornfeld (DC 07-08)
Yael worked at Rachael's Women's Center as the activities and volunteer coordinator. She received her MSW at Hunter College school of Social Work on June 3rd, 2010! Yael is currently looking for a job in the field of geriatric social work. Yael married Avram Mlotek on June 13, 2010. Their wedding was featured in the NYTimes. Email Yael.
Jane-Rachel Schonbrun (NY 99-00)
Jane-Rachel is a graduate of the Dual Masters Degree program at JTS & Columbia University School of Social Work and an alum of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. Over the past six years Jane-Rachel has worked at the Oshman Family JCC (07-10) and the Kehillah Jewish High School (04-07) in Palo Alto, CA. In the summer of 2010 Jane-Rachel is relocating with her family to Deal, NJ, and looks forward to reconnecting with the East Coast Avodah community! Email Jane.
Nadia Underhill (NY 99-00)
Nadia wants to share her excitement and spread the word about a new,
progressive minyan forming in Edgewater (Chicago). Also working on the project is Hollen Reischer (CHI 06-07). The goal is to create a
lay-led community that combines the excitement and creativity of the
independent minyanim like Hadar in NYC and Mission Minyan in San
Fransisco with a more liberal approach to Judaism. Nadia is interested in receiving ideas and input from those who have been involved in independent minyanim across the country. Spread the word! Email Nadia.
Orit
Vardi (CHI 07-08)
Orit grew up in Israel and Madison, WI and attended the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. During her AVODAH year she
worked at Alternatives,
Inc., a Youth and Family Service Agency, where she continued to work for
two years post-AVODAH. Orit is now changing
course and moving to Portland, OR to attend NCNM (The National College
of Natural Medicine) to become a Naturopathic doctor. Orit is looking
forward to maintaining relationships with her AVODAH cohort and looking
forward to getting to know the alumni in Portland. Email Orit.
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Upcoming Events
Bay Area
Meet the Change with Naomi Starkman, local food and farming advocate
When: Wednesday July 21 at 6:30pm
More information and to register: Click here
Jewish Film Festival
Pursue is happy to co-present "A Small Act" at the Jewish Film Festival, along with cosponsor AJWS.
The filmmaker and main character will be present for a discussion at
the film. Lunch and a brief program will follow the screening, details
to follow.
When: Saturday, July 24th at 11:00 a.m. Lunch at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St, San Francisco
Tickets: Click here
Pursue is also happy to co-present "Grace Paley: Collected Shorts," also at the Jewish Film Festival, and offer a gathering afterwards with Progressive Jewish Alliance and Zeek Magazine, details to follow.
When: Sunday, August 1st at 12:00 p.m. Gathering immediately afterwards
Where: Roda Theatre at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St, Berkeley
Tickets: Click here.
Boston
AVODAH and Friends Book Club
Join us for a discussion of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.The reading of Moby Dick is indefinitely postponed!
When: Sunday, July 18 at 6:00pm
Where: TBA (Park in Inman Square area)
More information: Email Amy Horning
Shapotluck- Save the date!
Save
the date for an outdoor version of your new favorite monthly event: the
AVODAH Shapotluck! Bring friends, partners, roommates and something
edible.
When: July 30 at 7:00pm
Where: Lieba Savitt's home in Somerville. Address upon RSVP.
More information and RSVP: Email Elana Brochin
New York
People of the Book Club: Little Bee
When: Tuesday, July 13 at 6:00pm
More information and to register: Click here.
Welcome to the Alumni Community
Please join us for the 'welcoming corps members' program night. Courtesy of Richard Semegram (CHI 07-08), here are 5 reasons to attend: 1) It will be fun; 2) You get to contribute to people feeling like their work this year has a broader lifetime community purpose; 3) That purpose will be a little bit undermined if it's just the 3 of us who volunteered to steer the evening; 4) You probably want to see the new bayit in Clinton Hill; 5) You get to put in your own personal touch on what the alumni community means. Dinner will be served.
When: Tuesday July 13 at 6:00pm
Where: The Bayit, 205 Gates Avenue (Brooklyn)
RSVP: Email Richard Semegram
In the Boardroom
When: July 21 at 7:00pm
More information and to register: Click here.
Planet Money: Let's Listen -- Learn ---Talk About Money!
When:Thursday July 29 at 7:00
Where: Bronfman Center for Jewish Life (7 East 10th Street)
Registration: http://planetmoney.eventbrite.com/
This event is brought to you by the Pursue City Team. For more information, contact newyorkcityteam@gmail.com.
Click here to submit your Upcoming Event.
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What's Been Happening in the Community
Bay Area
What is a California-vore? An Urban Farming Panel Discussion in San Francisco
Click here for a full report on all the action.
Boston
AVODAH and Friends Book Club
On June 20, AVODAH Alumni and friends gathered to eat chili, play with animals and discuss The Book Thief.
Chicago
Welcome to the Alumni Community Event
On Tuesday June 29, nine outstanding AVODAH alumni living in Chicago spent an evening with the current corps members, introducing them to the fabulous world of AVODAH alumni-ness and initiating them to the Chicago contingent with a solemn oath led by Sarah Miles (CHI '08-'09). Ilana Zafran and Hollen Reischer (both CHI '06-'07) led the program, with mega support from Program Director Jenna Pollack (NOLA '08-'09) and program cameos by Hannah Gelder and Anna Ratoff (both CHI '08-'09). Charles Dabah, Kelly Viselman (both CHI '08-'09) and Julia Leis (CHI '07-'08) also shared their wisdom and smiles with the group!
New Orleans
Welcome to the Alumni Community Event
On Tuesday, June 24, five alumni gathered at the AVODAH bayit with the current Corps members to celebrate the small, but growing alumni community in New Orleans. The evening began with a homemade dinner and checking-in with each other. Then, current Corps members worked on an art project to be left at the house, and later received their letters introducing them to the alumni program. As this year's Corps did not take part in an annual gathering, it was exciting to introduce them to the greater AVODAH community for the first time.
New York
Meet the Change with Idealist.org Founder, Ami Dar
Click here for a full report on all the action
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Jobs and Professional Development
Pursue, Program Officer. More information (Washington, DC)
Click here to submit jobs that are available at your agency and professional development opportunities to which you are connected. For a more extensive list of job offerings, see the Pursue: Action for a Just World monthly newsletter. |
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Update Your Contact Information
Have you moved? Or changed your email
address, mailing address, or phone number recently? Email
Rachel Ann Gross with
your new information.
If you would like to be added to a regional listserve please email the following people:
Bay Area - Jocelyn Berger
New York - Audrey Sasson
DC, Boston, Chicago, Israel or New Orleans - Rachel Ann Gross
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Rachel Chertok, National Director for Alumni and Leadership Development
AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps
phone:
212-545-7759 ext 307
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