Avodah NOLA Corps Member Ellie Moskowitz Kicks Off Service Year with Hurricane Relief Efforts

The following article was written on behalf of Avodah and originally published here. Late this summer, we celebrated the graduation of our 2020-2021 Corps Members and prepared to welcome a new cohort across six bayitim (houses) in five cities. In addition to new Service Corps programming in San Diego and our Jews of Color Bayit in New York, our New Orleans (NOLA) team…

Women Equity Brunch Indy: A Freelance Social Media Project

In late September, I received a call from a friend and former supervisor I hadn't talked to in quite a while, Amanda. She told me that she and a colleague were planning a special event for November. They realized they needed someone to manage the event's Instagram campaign, and she knew to call me. I…

Civilian Oversight of Chicago Police: Avodah Alumni and Partners Secure Major Win for Public Safety

The following post was written on behalf of Avodah and originally published here. After years of community actions and meetings in Chicago, the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance passed recently, creating the most comprehensive civilian oversight of a police department in the country.  ECPS is designed to create a system of accountability for…

Telling the Story of Avodah’s 2020-2021 Service Corps

My current employer, Avodah, has an annual Jewish Service Corps program, where young adults passionate about social justice elect to live communally and spend a year serving in a nonprofit organization. For this past service year, Avodah had four cohorts in four different cities across the U.S. We know from surveying Corps Members during and…

Pride Month Wrap-up

For Pride month at Avodah, I had the opportunity to interview and write about five amazing members of the LGBTQ community. It was a real joy to have these conversations, especially as someone who is new to Judaism. I enjoyed learning about how religion and queerness can go together rather than conflict. “Judaism can uplift…

Update: I got a new job!

It's been quite a while since I have made any sort of personal or life update on this site. For a long time, I have not had the time or energy to keep it properly updated. However, it definitely still serves it's primary purpose, which has always been as my digital portfolio. In the current…

Social Work with Heart: A Conversation with Avodah Alum Camellia Heart

This post was originally published here. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we spoke with mental health professional and Avodah Service Corps alumna Camellia Heart about her experiences in the field. Camellia Heart had just finished college at University of Georgia and was looking for her next move before graduate school. Combing through job…

Life in a Medical Van: Joshua Singer discusses his Service Corps Membership

This post was originally published here. Joshua Singer spends most of his time in a van, but he’s not on a road trip. He’s currently an Avodah Service Corps Member, serving with the New York City nonprofit, Project Renewal, which provides healthcare and social services to those in need. Joshua spends his days in the…

Supporting Survivors of Violence: A conversation with Kelsey Saragnese

This post was originally published here. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we spoke with Avodah Fellowship 2018-2019 alumna Kelsey Saragnese about her work in the field of violence prevention. Kelsey Saragnese photoA fervent advocate for violence prevention, Kelsey Saragnese has dedicated her career to helping people understand how to support and empower survivors…

Taking Climate Action Through Environmental Justice in Avodah’s Jewish Service Corps

This post was originally published here. “Climate justice intersects with all the other justice issues,” says Noa Gordon-Guterman. “The Earth houses all of both the beautiful work and all of our flaws as a human people. When the Earth is hurting, human beings are hurting as well. It is important to act on that interconnectedness.”…