Corps Member with Jewish Service Corps

Applications are open for the 2024-2025 Avodah's Jewish Service Corps, an immersive service year program running September 2024 - August 2025 for emerging changemakers ages 21-26. Spend a year serving full-time at a non-profit placement partner while living and learning in a justice-oriented Jewish community. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until all open roles are filled. Some of our open positions with Avodah placement partners include:

• Health Educator (Medical/Dental)/Media and Outreach Coordinator at EXCELth Inc: As a federally qualified health center with four permanent clinics in Louisiana, EXCELth, Inc. provides excellence in community-based health care by increasing access, reducing health disparities, and improving health outcomes. The Health Educator/Media and Outreach Coordinator will assist the EXCELth Dental Director and the Dental Office Manager in the coordination of mobile dental services, conduct outreach to vulnerable populations, support marketing and recruitment activities, and will also support the management of the EXCELth Inc website.
• Capacity Building Coordinator at ISLA: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA) is a legal services organization that defends the rights of our immigrant communities and advocates for just and humane immigration policy. The Capacity Building Coordinator will provide administrative support across the organization’s functions, including responsibilities related to communication, community engagement, development and legal efforts. Specific responsibilities will include development of a monthly newsletter and assistance with social media, supporting strategy to define ISLA’s role within the coalition’s advocacy and organizing project, attending meetings with local organizations and organizing a pro-bono volunteer program, as well as researching new funding opportunities, and meeting with detention clients and providing case support. Spanish language competency is a requirement. It may be more challenging to do this job without a drivers license, but not impossible.
• Operations and Membership Associate at Step Up Louisiana: Step Up Louisiana is a community based organization committed to building power to win education and economic justice for all.  We work with multiracial and intergenerational Louisianans to “Step Up” by campaigning, organizing from a racial justice perspective, and holding public officials accountable. The Operations and Membership Associate plays a vital role in supporting Step Up’s Operations and Membership programs by supporting the administrative and membership-related functions within the organization. This position involves providing assistance with various operational tasks, facilitating membership activities, and contributing to the overall success of the organization's goals and objectives.
• Move-in Specialist at UNITY of Greater New Orleans: UNITY coordinates  community partnerships to prevent, reduce and end homelessness. The Specialist will assist recently housed clients and their case workers with logistics of acquiring furnishings for new homes by   coordinating pick-up and delivery of donated items from donors and to client recipients and developing and implementing strategies to improve climate impact of UNITY Warehouse.
• Program Coordinator at The First 72+/Rising Foundations: The First 72+/Rising Foundations mission is to stop the cycle of incarceration by fostering independence and self-sustainability through education, stable and secure housing & employment, health care, and community engagement. The Program Coordinator will work in the Public Benefits clinic to assist clients as they apply for Medicaid and SNAP benefits, maintain communication with clients to ensure they receive benefits and troubleshoot any issues, assist with policy research questions, update and maintain databases such as the Emergency Transitional Housing referral list and the Virtual Legal Clinic Docket. The Program Coordinator will also complete intake with Legal Clinic clients, interview incoming housing clients alongside the Director of Client Services to determine appropriate next steps, and create and implement special projects in line with corps member’s vision with a social justice focus.
• Client and Family Assistance Coordinator at The Promise of Justice Initiative: The Client and Family Assistance Coordinator will work directly with the families of incarcerated folks and incarcerated individuals represented by the Promise of Justice Initiative by conducting phone calls with incarcerated individuals, writing/answering letters, and contacting client family members to coordinate/facilitate prison visits. Additionally, the Client and Family Assistance Coordinator will assist with fundraising efforts in order to fund the work of The Promise of Justice Initiative’s client and family assistance program. Depending on the Corps members interests, they can also be involved in community outreach and coalition building and litigation efforts.
• Community Lighthouse Project Organizer at Together New Orleans: Together New Orleans is a broad-based coalition of congregations and community-based organizations in the greater New Orleans area, with the capacity to address community problems large and small. The Project Organizer will work with leadership of faith and community institutions in low-income communities to build leadership teams as part of their role as "Community Lighthouse" resilience hubs, conduct one-on-one relational meetings to build relationships and identify new leaders, connect team members to various disaster-response oriented trainings and coordinate with training partners, engage volunteers in neighborhood canvassing strategies around Community Lighthouses, and help guide new Community Lighthouse teams in a process of preparing their organization to respond to disasters.

As a member of the Jewish Service Corps, you’ll: 

• Create lasting Jewish community. Home-cooked Shabbat dinners, late night conversations, and holiday celebrations make living in the bayit (communal home) memorable and meaningful. Corps Members co-create intentional, pluralistic communities that help them vision and embody how the world could be. 
• Launch your career in social justice.  After matching with a placement organization,, you'll contribute meaningfully to on-the-ground efforts on crucial justice issues such as immigration, housing insecurity, education, healthcare, the criminal legal system, and more. Gain a year of hands-on experience with a supportive community by your side.
• Dive into deep learning. Through experiential programming, you’ll explore different visions for movements for justice, the role of community in creating a more just world, and how you want to show up as a Jew in justice work.  Our dynamic curriculum will deepen and contextualize your day-to-day work, while supporting you in finding your place in broader justice movements. Jews of Color (JOCs) can also participate in JOC-specific programming and community building.
• Have your basic needs met. Avodah takes care of the most important things. Corps Members receive furnished housing, a monthly living stipend, health insurance, an exit stipend, and a travel allowance.  Corps Members can also tap into the economic access fund to support unmet financial needs.   
• Join our active alumni network for life. Our community of over 1,500 Jewish social justice professionals and activists across the country are there to help with apartment hunts, job references, Shabbat dinner invites, mentorship, and everything in between.

Jews of Color (JOCs) can also apply for our JOC Bayit, an affinity space within the Jewish Service Corps designed to nurture the leadership and well-being of Jews of Color.

Avodah is committed to building a service corps that inclusively represents the diverse Jewish Community. Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Jews of Color, people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, LGBT2QIA people, and people who come from poor or working class backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply!