The Jewish community has always been larger than the synagogue community, a fact we ignore at our own peril. Sacred service-learning is an attempt to broaden the horizons of emerging religious leaders, who increasingly will not fill existing jobs, but rather co-create them.
The philosophy behind sacred service-learning is similar to that of Mussar (Jewish ethical practice): we learn and change through doing. Our doing impacts our being, and our learning affects our actions. This is why I chose to take Mussar: it was directly applicable to service-learning.
Part of my job as a fellow is presenting “Safe Zone Trainings” to the Jewish community. These trainings are meant to help create advocacy and allyship. They also help organizations create a safe environment for LGBT members of their communities. It was in one such training that I was asked a question that would revolutionize how I understood not only my work, not only advocacy, but also how these connected to my Judaism.
