By Repair the World Fellow Amalia Mark
As a fellow with Repair the World, I understand that communities must organize within, and systemic change can only occur from an outgrowth of community members seeking and maintaining change. Yet, I struggle with this idea as someone who believes deeply in the presence of women’s inclusion and leadership within Orthodox Judaism. I am caught up in a constant conflict: it is not my place in non-receptive communities to push forward an agenda of women’s involvement and equality. On the other hand, I cannot stand idly by while women are divorced from commonplace Jewish ritual that men are given ownership over in most Orthodox settings.
Much of my life has been spent in a synagogue. I invite you to walk with me through an average Shabbat morning at my family’s orthodox synagogue.
This is the community I was raised in and the walls I have lived behind.
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By Repair the World Fellow Emily Benoit
On Martin Luther King (MLK) days in previous years I spent my time participating in service projects with local organizations to build community parks, work in soup kitchens, and do direct service.
However, working with Repair The World (RTW) and on the Civic Works Community Lot Team, I experienced my first reflective MLK day. During this time, my team and I discussed our experiences with the Civil Rights Movement and reflected on the meaning and impact of our direct service work. Together, we viewed “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1985.” The first portion of the PBS documentary explored the stories of Emmett Till and The Montgomery Bus Boycott as well as interviewed important Civil Rights individuals and organizers.
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By Repair the World Fellow Ariel Nathan
What a weekend! I began the weekend at Oheb Shalom, a Reform Jewish congregation in Park Heights (a fairly Jewish suburb of Baltimore City). Oheb Shalom has a thirteen-year partnership with Bethel AME Church (the AME stands for African Methodist Episcopal). Each year on MLK weekend Church members attend Kabbalat Shabbat services at Oheb Shalom and on Sunday Morning synagogue members attend Bethel’s morning mass. Friday night services were awesome! The two choirs joined together and sang, but the best part was when the Bethel choir sang on their own. Their voices were gorgeous, the musicians were excellent, everything about it was beautiful and it absolutely gave me chills.
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Here at Repair the World November is Gratitude Month – a month dedicated to giving thanks for everything we are grateful for. It is also the first month of the Repair the World Fellowship program.
We will be introducing you to our whole team of fellows – awesome people serving and working in cities across the country – soon. In the meantime, we reached out to them to ask: what are you grateful for? Their answers, which we will share throughout the month, might just inspire you.
Today’s Repair the World’s Fellows are grateful for: TRANSFORMATIONS
Check out our other posts on Gratitude Month:
Here at Repair the World November is Gratitude Month – a month dedicated to giving thanks for everything we are grateful for. It is also the first month of the Repair the World Fellowship program.We will be introducing you to our whole team of fellows – awesome people serving and working in cities across the country – soon. In the meantime, we reached out to them to ask: what are you grateful for? Their answers, which we will share throughout the month, might just inspire you.
Today’s Repair the World’s Fellows are grateful for: FAMILY.
Here at Repair the World November is Gratitude Month – a month dedicated to giving thanks for everything we are grateful for. (It’s almost Thanksgiving after all!) It is also the first month of Repair the World’s Community Fellowship program.
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As Repair the World gears up to launch our Community Fellowship program (learn more and apply!), we got to thinking about what it means to really dedicate one’s life to changing the world. Below, here are our top 10 reasons do just that – one for each month of the fellowship!
1. You can put your passions to work. Got an issue you care about deeply? There is no better way to express your support, then by working towards moving that issue forward.
2. You get to “be the change.” Everyone has heard the famous quote attributed to Gandhi. This is one way to really live it.
3. You will work with amazing teammates. Social change does not occur or exist in a vacuum – it requires the teamwork with other likeminded people. These people will be your colleagues, partners in crime (the good kind), and friends.
4. Inspiring others is part of the job description. Do you remember the person who opened your eyes to service and helping others – who brought about your a-ha moment? You’ll get to be that for other people.
5. The question “what am I doing with my life?” will become irrelevant. Good, meaningful jobs come and go – even in the realm of world-changing work. But when you dedicate your life to service, you will wake up every day knowing your purpose.
6. Social change conferences are the BEST! Every year there are hundreds of conferences all over the globe that bring together smart, inspiring people to discuss important issues. Here are some of our favorites: Mashable’s Social Good Summit, Clinton Global Initiative University, The Feast, and SXSW’s Interactive Festival.
7. You will be so cutting edge. Without fail, people doing world changing work are on the cutting edge of their fields, helping to set the world conversation about important topics.
8. You get a secret cape. Okay, maybe you don’t actually get a cape – but chances are, now and again, you’ll feel just a little bit like a superhero.
9. The learning never stops. No matter what field you care most about – be it education, the environment, or ending hunger – it is bound to change and evolve. You’ll be there for every step along the way.
10. Everyone likes to hear the words: thank you. When you help others for a living, you are bound to hear a lot of “thank yous.” But our guess is, you’ll end up feeling a lot of gratitude yourself!
Are you ready for an adventure – and to dedicate the next 10 months of your life to engaging in meaningful service? Find out more and apply for our 10-month fellowship program.