URGENT: Protect AmeriCorps – Our Jewish Values Call Us to Action

You may have seen the alarming news: AmeriCorps, the backbone of national service in the US, is under threat. All National Civilian Community Corps members have abruptly been “demobilized,” and roughly 85% of AmeriCorps federal staff have been placed on administrative leave. Additionally, nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants have been terminated, which affect more than 1,000 local organizations, and 32,465 AmeriCorps members and volunteers. This sudden freeze doesn’t just impact those who serve- it jeopardizes the critical support they provide in communities nationwide. 

In Jewish tradition we are taught that our obligations to protect our community are the same as our obligations to protect our own family (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 54b). Even when the task is daunting, we’re called to act. Our responsibility to one another doesn’t end when things get hard. Service has always brought hope to our communities and neighbors, and now we must act with our shared values. 

The challenges are serious, but we are not standing still. As a member organization of Voices for National Service, Repair the World and supporters of service like you have sent nearly 43,000 emails to members of Congress, calling on them to protect AmeriCorps. 

But we cannot stop here.

AmeriCorps and national service are essential to the future of both America and the Jewish community. It strengthens our democracy, builds bridges across lines of difference, and cultivates civic responsibility. For the Jewish community, it’s a living reflection of our Jewish values of loving-kindness, chesed, and justice, tzedek. Championing AmeriCorps means showing up for the tens of thousands—including thousands of Jewish young adults—who dedicate themselves to repairing the world through service.

Here’s how you can help, right now:

1. Take one minute to contact your members of Congress. Send an email using this form from our partners at Voices for National Service or call with this script 
2. Share one of our social media posts on Facebook | LinkedIn, or create your own post and graphics
3. Forward this email to your network to increase support and awareness for national service

If you’ve already taken action, thank you. Please take the next step and ask a friend or family member to join you. In the Talmud, the Rabbis expand on our familial and communal responsibility, to challenge us to protect the whole world. Today, that means protecting and expanding opportunities for service.

The future of national service—and our Jewish commitment to build a better world—depends on what we do next.