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Non-profit

Avodah The Jewish Service Corps.

Location:

Brooklyn, NY
Tax ID:

13-3914342
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $4,032,872
Expenses: $4,645,691
Assets: $2,569,454
Type:

Jewish community program
CEO:

Cheryl Cook

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Avodah The Jewish Service Corps, is a left-of-center year-long program for 22- to 26-year-old Jews who are “emerging changemakers,” “passionate about social justice,” and interested in a “pluralistic Jewish community.” 1 Corps members match with an organization where they work on issues including immigration, health care, the criminal justice system, and education. 1

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

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

Financials

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

In 2023, Avodah received $50,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, 5 the largest of the five nonprofits that Arabella Advisors manages. That year, it also received $12,000 from the New Israel Fund. 6 In 2022 and 2021, it received $20,875 from the left-of-center Tides Center, earmarked for “healthy individuals and communities.” 7 8 It has also received funding from various Jewish community foundations and individual foundations. 9

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. 10

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. 10

The Rabbinic Council includes Sandra Lawson and Angela Buchdahl, among about a dozen others. 10

Lawson is the inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of Reconstructionist Judaism. 11 12 She is also one of the first black, queer female rabbis. 13 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.” 14

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. 15 She is also a board member of the Jewish Multiracial Network. 16

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. 10

References

  1. “Jewish Service Corps.” 2025. Avodah. February 27, 2025. https://avodah.net/jewish-service-corps/.
  2. Rosenfeld, Arno. “Avodah Denies Pressure Caused It to Fire Anti-Zionist Activist.” The Forward, 30 June 2022, forward.com/news/508557/avodah-denies-pressure-caused-it-to-fire-anti-zionist-activist/
  3. Avodah. X (Formerly Twitter), 30 June 2022, x.com/weareavodah/status/1542574017370116096.
  4. Avodah The Jewish Service Corps, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133914342/202440519349300939/full, Part I, Lines 12 and 18.
  5. New Venture Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205806345/202433179349305393/IRS990ScheduleI Schedule I.
  6. New Israel Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942607722/202443209349323044/IRS990ScheduleI, Schedule I.
  7. Tides Center, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943213100/202323189349300212/IRS990ScheduleI, Schedule I.
  8. Tides Center, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943213100/202203189349311670/IRS990ScheduleI
  9. Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica. ““Jewish Service Corps.”” ProPublica, 9 May 2013, projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?page=3&q=%22jewish+service+corps%22&sort=-year&submit=Apply.
  10.  “Leadership.” Avodah, 19 Feb. 2025, avodah.net/about/leadership/.
  11. Lawson, Rabbi Sandra. “Rabbi Sandra Lawson.” Rabbi Sandra Lawson , 2018, www.rabbisandralawson.com/.
  12. “Home.” Reconstructing Judaism, www.reconstructingjudaism.org/.
  13. Todd, Christian. “A Queer, Black, Female Rabbi’s Fight for Racial Equity in Judaism.” ABC7 San Francisco, 24 Feb. 2021, abc7news.com/localish-black-lives-matter-racial-equity/10364568/.
  14. Lashley, Noelle. “Black History Month: Rabbi Shares Her Voice.” Spectrumlocalnews.com, Spectrum News 1 Charlotte, 14 Feb. 2022, spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2022/02/14/rabbi-shares-her-voice-.
  15. Synagogue, Central. “Central Synagogue, a Reform Congregation in Midtown Manhattan.” Www.centralsynagogue.org, www.centralsynagogue.org/about-us/our-clergy/angela-w-buchdahl.
  16. “Angela Buchdahl.” Jewish Women’s Archive, jwa.org/rabbis/narrators/buchdahl-angela.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: August - July
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1997

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Aug Form 990 $4,032,872 $4,645,691 $2,569,454 $212,018 N $3,459,137 $460,068 $509 $554,463 PDF
    2021 Aug Form 990 $4,494,676 $3,813,684 $3,192,457 $222,202 N $3,812,697 $509,483 $1,356 $425,649
    2020 Aug Form 990 $3,088,584 $3,491,079 $2,433,974 $144,711 N $2,163,895 $542,073 $5,427 $630,986 PDF
    2019 Aug Form 990 $3,416,174 $3,507,149 $2,806,938 $115,180 N $2,776,561 $542,537 $6,860 $414,337 PDF
    2018 Aug Form 990 $4,298,106 $3,191,077 $2,888,634 $105,901 Y $3,760,033 $518,530 $4,863 $248,289 PDF
    2017 Aug Form 990 $2,265,361 $2,824,689 $1,806,137 $130,433 N $1,772,546 $222,360 $2,938 $248,322
    2016 Aug Form 990 $3,519,668 $2,670,298 $2,393,231 $158,199 N $3,022,625 $212,453 $1,942 $263,814 PDF
    2015 Aug Form 990 $2,608,298 $2,514,236 $1,470,819 $252,407 N $2,125,484 $181,640 $455 $203,819 PDF
    2014 Aug Form 990 $2,238,246 $2,580,634 $1,389,025 $264,675 N $1,817,240 $130,500 $489 $309,885 PDF
    2013 Aug Form 990 $3,118,761 $2,550,504 $1,754,296 $296,811 N $2,664,199 $135,500 $528 $242,068 PDF
    2012 Aug Form 990 $2,262,376 $2,295,681 $1,134,432 $249,625 N $1,884,836 $111,000 $735 $244,565 PDF
    2011 Aug Form 990 $1,792,360 $2,087,067 $1,124,558 $225,704 N $1,465,655 $101,500 $1,163 $235,472 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Avodah The Jewish Service Corps.

    195 MONTAGUE ST FL 14
    Brooklyn, NY