Service Corps Member Spotlight: Finding Belonging Through Service
For Sophia Sebbag (she/her), joining the Student Service Corps, a partnership program of Repair the World and Berkeley Hillel was more than an opportunity to give back—it was a turning point in her personal and Jewish journey.
Sophia and her cohort proudly displaying their certificates of completion for the Berkeley Hillel Service Corps.
“The past few years, I have really struggled with my Jewish identity,” she shared. “I haven’t really aligned with it as much as I did growing up, and didn’t know where I fit because I felt kind of disconnected.” But over the course of the program, Sophia found clarity and connection where she least expected it: in the simple, powerful act of showing up for others.
The Service Corps gave Sophia a renewed sense of pride in her Jewish identity, especially during a time of increased polarization. “All the rhetoric surrounding Jews right now is mostly negative,” she said. “But in my Repair the World [cohort], hearing from Jews and about Jewish service organizations and learning that Jews give back—not just to Jews—really helped me in this confusing time of being a Jew.”
Sophia served at Reading Partners, a Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy, where she
tutored two students during her fall semester. From tutoring elementary school students to engaging in deep Jewish reflection on the Jewish responsibility to repair the world with her fellow corps members, Sophia discovered that service was more than she anticipated—it was a way of life that resonated deeply with who she is. “I think this [program] really made me realize that I have felt this innate thing for community service.”
One moment, in particular, stands out for her. During a reading session with a student, they read a story about a boy who wanted to dance in his school’s talent show but was afraid his friends would make fun of him. After hearing the story, the student connected it to his own life, sharing that he wanted to join a jump rope contest but was nervous because his friends said it was “just for girls.” Sophia saw it as a powerful teaching moment. “You see what we just learned in the story? I was really happy that I got to walk him through it a little and be there.” That moment, Sophia says, is one she’ll carry with her.
Sophia’s cohort happened to be seven women, which led to an unexpected source of strength and solidarity, achdoot, throughout the program. “It attracted a really good group. We were all women, so that really made it special. I felt really comfortable, it felt like we were just a group of strong women saving the world. It felt empowering.”
As she looks ahead, Sophia is committed to continuing a life of Jewish service. “After Repair the World, I’ve seen how easy it is to get involved—even if I’m in school or have a job. I made a little pledge to myself that I never want to stop giving back. There’s such a need for it in every aspect, and I really love doing it.” She added, “Now I feel I have a stronger connection to my Jewish identity through community service, and it’s something I’m really proud of.”
