Praying With Our Legs 19 stories that will inspire you a Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Publication Praying With Our Legs 19 stories that will inspire you A Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Publication Published for the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America New Orleans, Lousiana November 5-9, 2010 Special thanks for Repair the World’s generous funding, Dory Kornfeld’s stellar design and Jerry Silverman’s belief in this project. Thanks to Jewish Funds for Justice stafff—Mae for writing and project management and Sheila and Erica for editing. Cover photo by Flickr user Deep Schismic THE NATHAN CUMMIFOUNDATIONNGS is the proud founder and sponsor of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Praying With Our Legs 19 stories that will inspire you a Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Publication Executive Summary The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (Roundtable) is excited to illuminate the stories and accomplishments of 19 young people ages 15 to 33 years old. They have inspired us with their diverse expressions of Judaism, commitment to service and desire to see the Jew- ish community grow. “I want to see a shift in the Jew- ish psyche. Service is a way to act Jewish, just like we understand prayer as a Jewish act, so is service,” says Anya Manning, 25. Diverse definitions of service: Those featured in this booklet are bursting open the traditional definitions of service and pushing their Jewish communities to think expansively. They’re in Israel teaching refugees English, using community organizing to engage congregants in New Orleans and doing service learning in Guatemala. Never too young to start: In fifth grade, Gabe Ferrick, 15, learned about the genocide in Darfur. By his bar mitzvah, he was raising funds and collecting supplies for children there. “This is my genera- “This is my generation’s tion’s form of Judaism: a religion form of Judaism: that has a commitment to im- a religion that has proving the world,” says Sasha a commitment to Lansky, 19, who has fundraised thousands of dollars for environ- ” improving the world, mental initiatives. Sasha Lansky, 19 years old. Orthodox to Secular: Read about Dani Passow, a 27-year-old Or- thodox rabbinical student who built latrines in Senegal and Jackie Rotman, a 19-year-old ballerina/Executive Director. From those who are finding their Jewish spark to those who are serving out of their religious obliga- tions, all define service as a core expression of their Judaism. 2 Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Jewish organizations got them started: These young Jews are each part of a Jewish organization that has inspired and supported them in their community engagement. These groups provide a Jewish framework for the work they love and have introduced them to communities of likeminded Jews. Elyssa Koidin, 28, explains, “The journey to finding where I fit in within the Jewish community took a while.... I finally feel comfortable.” The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable is a collaboration of 18 organizations working to elevate the role of social jus- tice in the contemporary Jewish community. We believe that social justice is integral to what it means to be a Jew and should be a more explicit part of Jewish life in the 21st century. For over a year, the Roundtable has built the connec- tive tissue that will allow for effective collaborations. The group is focused on deepening relationships between organizations and developing programmatic partnerships. Most recently, the Roundtable has prioritized introducing more Jews and Jewish institutions to the transformative work happening in our growing Jewish social justice field. This booklet, and the increased presence of Roundtable groups in leadership roles during this year’s General Assem- bly, is one manifestation of that effort. For a complete list of member organizations, please see page 44. 2 Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Praying With Our Legs 3 A Message from Jerry Silverman Dear Friends, We are so proud that The Jewish Federations of North America is hosting our annual General Assembly in New Orleans. Our very ability to hold the GA in New Orleans is due to the incredible re- silience of the Jewish communities on the Gulf Coast. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge have dramatically rebuilt since Hurricane Ka- trina, with the support of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, whose open doors helped those communities persevere. Though devastated following the storm, the Jewish community knew that to strengthen themselves, they must strengthen New Orleans. Giving time, money and ingenuity to Jewish and secu- lar issues is central to Jewish life here in New Orleans, on the Gulf Coast, and nationwide. The young people featured in Praying with Our Legs are furthering those Jewish traditions of chesed and tzedek. Their stories inspire us. Their work improves the larger communities in which they live and deepens their Jewish identities. Like the New Orleans Jewish commu- The young people featured nity, many young Jews realize they in Praying with Our Legs grow individually and communally are furthering those when they reach out to make a dif- ference. Jewish traditions of chesed and tzedek. Their We are also grateful to the Jewish So- cial Justice Roundtable for highlight- stories inspire us. ing some of the best and brightest of our young people. The GA offers a chance to promote the amazing work of these young people, and issues a call to the larger Jewish community to recognize that more young Jews than ever are eagerly participating in service work. This is no trend: it is a movement that has the potential to transform the Jewish community and change the world. We are excited to welcome their voices and these organizations to this year’s GA. We hope these stories inspire you as well. Jerry Silverman President and CEO The Jewish Federations of North America 4 Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable 4 A Message from Jerry Silverman 6 American Jewish World Service Dani Passow 8 AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps Rachel Lewis 10 PANIM Institute of BBYO Jackie Rotman 12 Hazon Sasha Lansky 14 Jewish Community Action Hannah Nemer 16 Jewish Community Relations Council of Alexandra Rogers Greater Boston 18 Jewish Council for Public Affairs Elyssa Koidin 20 Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Leah Shefsky 22 Jewish Funds for Justice Stephan Labelle 24 Jewish Organizing Initiative Dan Gelbtuch 26 Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Ruhi Sophia Rubenstein 28 Jews United for Justice Matthew Adler 30 Jewish World Watch Gabe Ferrick 32 Keshet Taan Shapiro 34 MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Trevor Brandt-Sarif 36 New Israel Fund Joanna Packer 38 Progressive Jewish Alliance Anne Hromadka 40 Rabbinical Assembly Rabbi Ethan Linden 42 Repair the World Anya Manning 44 Members of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable 4 Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Dani Passow, Age 27 American Jewish World Service is an international develop- ment organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. 45 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018 212-792-2810 • www.ajws.org 6 Jewish Social Justice Roundtable For Dani, a cup of coffee can be about a lot more than a cup of cof- Dani Passow, Age 27 fee. Before taking a sip, he says, he often finds himself engaging in “a meditation on each person who had a hand in its production.” From the farmers who grow and harvest beans to the factory workers who make the cup it comes in to the barista behind the counter, “it’s an extraordinary number of people,” he says. “A lot of that is hidden. It’s a spiritual attribute to be able to investigate the unseen. G-d’s hand is unseen. We have to constantly seek that presence out.” It was in Senegal, while on an American Jewish World Service (AJWS) trip for rabbinic students, that Dani was moved to start searching for the unseen hands in his consumer choices. In Senegal, he provided service building latrines while sharing his Jewish perspective and learn- ing about Senegalese traditions. He noticed the immense poverty and poor infrastructure and was struck by something. “You see all this trash—Nestle wrappers and Coke cans—from Western corporations and countries. As Americans, we Like other rabbinic students are clearly involved, and our lives who have gone overseas on are interlaced with their lives.” AJWS delegations, Dani has Service, as Dani defines it, is tried to bring something “breaking down some of the bar- back to his Orthodox Jewish riers between self and other” and serving both Jews and non-Jews, community. the way AJWS teaches. Like other rabbinic students who have gone overseas on AJWS delegations, Dani has tried to bring something back to his Orthodox Jewish community. “At this point there have been eight of these excursions. A significant number of students have gone. They are all talking about their powerful experience and reflections in their sermons, writing or teaching.” After the trip, Dani turned his meditations into action. He is now the director of Tav HaYosher, a project offering certifications to kosher restaurants and supermarkets that meet basic standards of pay and working conditions. “Kosher is one of the most public Jewish institutions,” he says. “As a main communal institution, it should represent our Torah values. We have to stand up for the strangers amongst us and against oshek,” Dani says, reaching for his coffee. Dani, a rabbinical student, is director of Tav HaYosher, a project offering certifications to kosher restaurants and supermarkets for meeting basic standards of pay and working conditions.