Racial Justice and Community Building - Avodah Provides New Leadership Opportunities for Jews of Color

By Nate Looney, Manager of Racial Justice Initiatives at Avodah

With the generous support of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), the Avodah Jewish Service Corps launched its first Jews of Color (JOC) Bayit in August for the 2021-2022 service year. The JOC Bayit is a ground-breaking new experience designed, built, and run by Jews of Color for Jews of Color. Based in New York City, the first cohort includes young changemakers from diverse Jewish backgrounds. For most, this is the first time they are part of the majority within a Jewish environment.

According to the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, 12-15% of the American Jewish population identifies as Jews of Color. Other studies estimate that up to 20% of the American Jewish community are ethnically diverse (including Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews). These studies and focus groups also show that historically, non-white Jews have not always felt welcome in mainstream and mainly white Jewish spaces. The JOC Bayit is in the process of changing that experience for these young Jewish leaders.

Some may ask, why would JOCs need a separate communal environment? Isn’t that the opposite of inclusion? The answer is no: for too long Jews of Color have had to exist in isolation, many of us feeling like we were the only ones sharing a particular lived experience. Many of us have lacked access to networks across and connection with significant parts of Jewish life. Spaces for JOCs enable us to cultivate community - to laugh, cry, be loud, and be supported in moments of upheaval.

The members of the JOC Bayit are working on a range of justice issues with nonprofit organizations, giving them the opportunity to further their development not only as Jewish leaders but also as professionals in the field of social justice. Our JOC Bayit members have shown an enthusiasm for immersing themselves in these newfound experiences, allowing them to make the most of all that their community and program have to offer. Leah S. is currently serving as a Health Outreach Worker for Project Renewal, helping to extend health care access to low-income New Yorkers and those facing housing insecurity. When embarking on this journey, Leah expressed: “I am excited [to] embrace the diversity [that] NYC has to offer and connect with my built-in Jewish community by engaging in interesting conversations that intersect Judaism and social justice.”

Not only are Bayit members able to unite within their living spaces, but they can bring in the opportunities they are given within their service placements to blend and enhance their personal and professional experiences. Sumner L. recently remarked, “I (continue) to be excited to (be a part of) the first Avodah JOC Bayit and explore the intersections between climate justice and other contemporary social issues while working at Dayenu.” At Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, Sumner serves as the National Organizer for Young People. She supports people between the ages of 18-32 in growing their relationships and organizing networks to further combat the climate crisis.

Not only does the JOC Bayit give young leaders the experience of living in a diverse, pluralistic Jewish community within Avodah, but it also provides networking opportunities for them to build relationships with other JOCs who are working locally in the fields of social change.

This past November, members of the JOC Bayit - and other JOCs from the broader New York cohort - participated in a New York JOC Leaders meet-up dinner to network and build relationships with senior JOC professionals in their fields. Later this month, Avodah’s JOC Bayit Corps Members will join the Jews of Color Initiative’s New York Leadership Cohort for a day of JOC-specific learning.

The Avodah JOC Bayit is just one of many organizational initiatives Avodah is taking on to further its racial justice goals. With the support of funders like WRJ, Avodah re-evaluated its programs and made changes from the inside out. This includes changes in how we hire, recruit, and even share our learnings with other Jewish organizations.

Over the coming months, I am most excited to further build upon the learnings from the JOC Bayit experience of our service corps members. Thanks to the support of WRJ, and some additional funders, I am looking forward to creating stronger commitments to racial justice and further advancing the leadership and opportunities of Avodah’s young Jews of Color in the fields of social change.

Nate Looney is Avodah’s Manager of Racial Justice Initiatives, leading diversity strategies at Avodah, focusing on Jews of Color. Nate is the CEO and Owner of Westside Urban Gardens, an urban agricultural company based in Los Angeles, CA. Nate​ is an AJU alum, entrepreneur, strategist, US Army Veteran, and Urban Farmer. He is a Wexner Fellow, Jeremiah fellow, a Selah alum, and is the chair of the LAGLCC Inclusion Taskforce. Currently, he consults controlled environment agriculture start-ups and speaks publicly about intersectionality and diversity.