Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps.

In addition, the organization guides Corps members in determining “how [they] want to live out [their] justice values.” ¹ The program has a learning element, which includes topics like “anti-racism” training, “antisemitism and white supremacy” and “philanthropy, capitalism, and change.” ¹

The group attracted criticism in 2022 for firing an employee who had made anti-Israel social media posts. ²

Background and Activities

Avodah members work at a variety of organizations in spaces such as “climate and environmental justice,” “housing justice,” legal advocacy, community organizing and immigration and refugee resettlement. ¹ As of March 2025, Avodah offered a position supporting tenants facing evictions at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, helping Jewish communal institutions address “the climate crisis” at Adamah, advocating for prisoners and their families at Promise of Justice Initiative, and community organizing at Jews United for Justice. ¹

Avodah also offers educational programs to Corps Members, including programs to help “develop a structural analysis around social injustice.” ¹ Programming may include “anti-racism” training; “antisemitism and white supremacy”; “philanthropy, capitalism, and change”; and “Regulation Tracking and Tools: Body-Based Approaches to Self Care in Community.” ¹

The Jewish Service Corps offers communal housing for Corps members in Washington, DC, New Orleans, Chicago, and New York City. ¹

Avodah attracted criticism in 2022 for firing Anna Rajagopal after it came to light that she wrote “every zionist [sic] is just extremely ugly” on social media and called Zionists “genocidal freaks.” ² Avodah posted to Twitter: “Avodah parted ways with a new temp-hire this week. We cannot comment on details of personnel decisions” but “we did not and do not make personnel decisions based on an individual’s politics related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” ³

In July of 2025, Avodah signed a letter with more than 500 nonprofit organizations in opposition to efforts made by the Trump Administration to request information about federal grants to nonprofits awarded during the Biden Administration. The letter claims that these requests were intentionally designed to manufacture an appearance of misconduct against groups that didn’t align with the administration’s “political agenda.” ⁴

Financials

In 2023, Avodah reported a total revenue of $4,136,092 and expenses of $4,322,107. ⁵

In 2023, Avodah received $50,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, ⁶ one of several nonprofits managed by philanthropic consulting firm Arabella Advisors. That year, it also received $12,000 from the New Israel Fund. ⁷ In 2022 and 2021, it received $20,875 from the left-of-center Tides Center, earmarked for “healthy individuals and communities.” ^{8 9} It has also received funding from various Jewish community foundations and individual foundations. ¹⁰

Leadership

Sarra Alpert is Chief Institute Officer, Emilia Diamant is Chief Program Officer, Rachel Glicksman is Chief People and Operations Officer, and Shira Sarfati is Chief Strategy Officer. ¹¹

Cheryl Cook is CEO, Ilana Zafran Walden is Board Chair, Absera Melaku is Board Vice Chair, Max Rothstein is Board Treasurer and Rose Jagust is Board Secretary. Other board members include Elli Krandel, Elana Bildner, Becca Felsenthal, Hilary Felton, Sheila Lambert, Deborah Levine, Harry Lowenburg, Benetta Mansfield, Karyn Polak and Janna Rosenberg. ¹¹

The Rabbinic Council includes Sandra Lawson and Angela Buchdahl, among about a dozen others. ¹¹

Lawson is the inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of Reconstructionist Judaism. ^{12 13} She is also one of the first black, queer female rabbis. ¹⁴ Lawson has claimed, “If you’re saying that you don’t support Black Lives Matter, you’re saying you don’t support me as a Jew.” ¹⁵

Buchdahl is the senior rabbi at New York City’s Central Synagogue and its first female leader. She was the first Asian American to be ordained in North America as a cantor or rabbi. ¹⁶ She is also a board member of the Jewish Multiracial Network. ¹⁷

The Avodah Institute for Social Change Faculty includes Chief Institute Officer Sarra Alpert, Catherine Bell, Jordan Berg Powers, Aryeh Bernstein, Jonah Canner, Imani Chapman, Melissa Carter, Keshira haLev Fife, Becky Jaye, Gamal Palmer, Caroline Rothstein, Yoshi Silverstein, Yehudah Webster and Dubbs Weinblatt. ¹¹