Alissa Berman is completing her fellowship with JCUA as part of the Avodah Jewish Service Corp. Over the last 10 months, Alissa has supported JCUA’s advocacy, education, and community-building for a more just Chicago and Illinois. She offered some reflections on some of her learnings and memorable experiences with JCUA:

What a year this was! I took powerful action on the local level, developed my antiracist lens, faced losses and regrouped, schlepped 12 roommates to Springfield, and drank countless coffees in 1 on 1s all over Chicago. This all led me to form lasting relationships with remarkable people, something I will be forever grateful to JCUA for facilitating.

JCUA kept me grounded through a year of ever-increasing attacks on communities we all hold dear. You introduced me to a brand new city, taught me how to think strategically about politics, and have welcomed me into a vibrant community. In a world as frightening and unstable as ours is right now, it is absolutely necessary to be with people who will fight with everything they have to make it better. 

As I move forward into new and exciting career opportunities, my time at JCUA will inform how I orient myself to future work. This year confirmed my commitment to values-aligned social justice work, something that will shape the rest of my life. Additionally, JCUA prepared me to live out this commitment. I have developed leadership abilities and confidence, clarified my values, and, most importantly, honed my spreadsheet skills.

JCUA — and the people who make it exceptional — is a home for me. This work is my Judaism, and it is such a privilege to be part of something that encourages me to embody this spiritual and political orientation. I am so proud to be part of the JCUA community, and I cannot wait to see how I continue to develop as a leader alongside all of you. Thank you all for the great year, and to the many more to come!