by Adam Kredo
Washington Jewish Week
May 19, 2010

read the article at WashingtonJewishWeek.org


A stroll last year through the District's newly refurbished Columbia Heights neighborhood confirmed for Elissa Froman the transformative power of grassroots community organizing.

Still, she says, something seemed missing from classic models for community engagement -- a dash of Judaism.

That's why the 26-year-old jumped at the chance to apply for a new fellowship for young adults that mixes Jewish ethical teachings with workshops on galvanizing the community around social justice causes.

It's called the Jeremiah Fellowship, a 10-month program jointly sponsored by the District's Jews United For Justice and California's Progressive Jewish Alliance. Seeking to nurture budding activists by grounding their work in ancient Jewish tenets, the fellowship draws its aim from its namesake's book: "And seek the well-being of the city in which you dwell ... for in its peace you shall find peace."

"It's almost like that ideal combination of the most authentic, old-school Jewish learning, combined with the most cutting-edge information on organizing in the community," said Froman, a District resident and legislative associate for the National Council of Jewish Women.

Since October, the 17 fellows have gathered twice monthly in the basement of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's D.C. headquarters, pouring over Torah portions and other classical texts, intent on discovering the Jewish tenets that underscore their grassroots efforts.

Froman says the lessons -- which play out much like a chevruta, or collaborative study session -- are paying dividend.

"Gathering this kind of group in a Jewish context, it infuses the community organizing work with a real sense of greater purpose," she said. "It's training and education for the sake of action."

Biblical passages have also provided the fellows a framework from which to build their organizing skills. For instance, noted Froman, Leviticus 19.13 provides clear instructions on how an employer should treat a worker, a tangible model that can be used to help ink humane labor laws.

The program, explained Rabbi Elizabeth Richman, program director and rabbi in residence at JUFJ, differs from most like it by urging fellows to concentrate on problems specifically plaguing the D.C. area.

"The standout thing about this is that we're really locally focused," said Richman, explaining that in D.C. -- where national topics dominate the discourse -- the fellows can zero in on problems in their backyards.

Affordable housing and gentrification issues, for example, were the centerpiece of a recent session that aimed to help the fellows understand the challenges facing transitioning D.C. neighborhoods.

"Many of us, many of the fellows, live in neighborhoods that are" gentrifying, Richman said, explaining that after first delving into Jewish perspectives on housing issues together, the fellows took a bus tour to explore shifting neighborhoods, such as Northwest D.C.'s Columbia Heights and Shaw areas, as well as the Langley Park/Takoma Crossroads area in Prince George's County.

Affordable housing literally hits home for fellow David Krakow. Living in the District with five other young professionals, Krakow, who teaches at Stone Ridge in Bethesda, said that he and his roommates must pool their respective incomes merely to stay afloat.

Realizing that those with lesser incomes struggle even more to keep a roof over their heads, Krakow, 28, aims to focus on affordable housing initiatives.

Fellows also investigate other D.C.-centric issues, such as the plight of the day laborer -- a topic particularly close to JUFJ, which hosts an annual labor seder.

As of last week, the fellows -- chosen from a pool of applicants based upon their respective penchants to champion social causes -- had begun examining immigration issues.

Sessions hew to a basic structure, as fellows first examine Jewish texts before hearing from speakers, such as Stephanie Grosser, assistant director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society's Washington office, among others.

They also spent a weekend in November bonding at the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center in Reisterstown, Md.

Participants agree to take a leadership role with JUFJ or another D.C. advocacy group once the fellowship culminates in July.

Several of the fellows, Richman reported, have take a particular interest in JUFJ's efforts to preserve the District's safety net services from facing cuts in the city's upcoming budget.

For fellow Rachel Hutt, the training has helped her hone methods to address the city's problems on a grassroots level.

Before applying for the program, Hutt, 26, said that she philosophically grasped Judaism's social justice tenets, but "never really felt like I had some of the concrete organizing skills."

These days, said the District resident, she views the cityscape differently.

"As a result of the fellowships, it's becoming increasingly important to me to pay attention to local politics and understand the issues and make sure my voice is being heard on the issues I care about," said Hutt, who works for the nonprofit group Reading Is Fundamental.

"Particularly," she added, "when you're talking about local politics ... one, two or 10 voices really do make a difference. That's been very empowering for me to hear."

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