“Would you be willing to have a student intern?” “I really would love to have you as a mentor, would you consider it?” “Could my son/daughter/sister/friend spend a few days and shadow you and some of your staff?” There is no shortage of requests for experience, information or guidance as individuals of all ages try to find their career paths.…
Category: Collegial Voices
The Medium Is the Message
Many young, engaged Jews want justice to be a well-integrated part of our Jewish communities and identities. At the same time, we can’t talk about justice and pursue justice for other communities without observing the injustices we perpetuate in our own community. The medium is the message. In the area of gender, do we ensure that our system supports women…
Jewish Service: Is It Worth It?
Periodically, I have the joy and privilege of leading services at Adat Shalom in Bethesda, MD. I am the founding rabbi of the congregation and on most shabbatot I am “in the pews” (even though we have individual seats and not pews). But when I conduct services it is also my prerogative to frame the Torah discussion. On a recent shabbat there…
People Discuss Problems, Leaders Take Action
True leaders leave behind legacies. If we want to know which traits we should develop and look for in future Jewish leaders, we need only to look to our past. Much of what shapes a leader is the lives they led. Experiences lead to the creation of a leader. Leadership is not something that can be passed on, it is…
A Judaism that Matters: Creating Integrated Service Learning Communities
This article suggests that integrating Jewish texts and practice into Jewish service-learning (JSL) programs deepens and enriches the experience of participants during the program itself, while also providing participants with the tools and inspiration to continue to develop their Jewish, service, and justice identities. Drawing from examples from JSL programs, this article describes models for integrating Jewish texts and practice…