Greetings,
It is difficult to put into words how this moment has changed all of our lives. I’m writing to you today from my kitchen table, where my family is juggling work and home-school. Between Zoom conference calls and third-grade reading, I am also hearing from families, friends, and partners whose loved ones are in mourning or in great need of health and healing. With so much uncertainty in the world as we approach Passover, there is one thing I know for sure:
this night will be different from all other nights.
This Passover, many of us in the Avodah community will be visiting family over WiFi connections, our seders will be smaller, and our yearning for freedom will feel ever more present throughout this self-quarantine period. And yet, in every generation, the story of Passover has always taught us resilience. Avodah is resilient too. During this time, our Corps Members are both serving as essential workers and supporting those on the front lines of this crisis.
As CEO, one of my most important roles at Avodah is to raise the funds to support our 1,200 participants and 60+ organizations in order to cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders. Avodah is building leaders who are in the field, changing health and food policies, education and labor structures, housing and city infrastructure, and re-building the systems that have made so many people vulnerable to this pandemic in the first place.