Faith and Service, Pt. 2: AVODAH -- The Jewish Service Corps

Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps offers young people a chance to
affect social change while deepening their commitment to Jewish
life by serving for a year at anti-poverty organizations in
Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, DC.

As with other service corps, Avodah's corps members earn a basic
stipend. They also live in community with other corps members, and
work on group building, negotiation, and conflict resolution. In
partnership with the American Jewish World Service, Avodah's alumni
find networking, support and training.

Herself an alumna of Avodah, Amy Ravis Furey serves as New York
City Program Director for AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. After
earning her Masters in Social Work from Hunter College with a
concentration in community organizing and group work, she served as
an organizer for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and as
the Social Justice Coordinator at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Amy is the first Avodah alum to
serve on staff as a program director at one of the AVODAH
sites.

Idealist's Amy Potthast speaks with Amy Ravis Furey about the
influence of Avodah in her career path, and her mission of lifting
up youth to change the world. They talk about the role of Jewish
social justice teaching, the alumni nework, and the impact Avodah
has had in the world and on its corps members.
 
For more information, join Avodah staff on a conference call
tonight (11/19) at 9 pm, or on December 2. The deadline to apply
for the 2009-10 year is February 6th, 2009.