All in the Family
Second Year Corps Member Rachel Lee with sister Sophie.
When my sister came to visit a few weeks ago, I had one of those beautiful AVODAH moments, where different worlds came together in a quietly harmonious kind of way. Over the past few years Sophie has become increasingly more observant of Jewish traditions. She adheres to strict standards of Kashrut and is shomer shabbas (no computers, commerce, driving, or even playing musical instruments on Shabbat). We come from a Reform Jewish family and our parents are drawn to the ritual of Jewish Renewal, so our family is sort of a microcosm, or a mirror, of AVODAH: a pluralistic enviroments that sometimes leads to clashes, but often leads to learning.
As soon as Sophie told me she was coming down for Spring break I started to worry: where would she go to services? (My house is not within walking distance of a shul). Would she be able to eat at my house? (I’m a strict vegan, but my kitchen had been used to prepare meat and dairy in the past). Finally I settled on the perfect plan: we would spend Friday evening at the bayit, the collective house where the current corps members reside. They keep one of their kitchens kosher and they live walking distance from multiple shuls. I called my sister, practically bursting with excitement at the perfectness of my plan. After I had finished explaining how everything there would fill her spiritual needs, she cut me off: “That all sounds great,” she said, “but you know I really just want to hang out with you.”
This interaction was not with one of the many amazing new people I met during my year in AVODAH, it was with my own sister. But somehow, it was a moment that was only possible because of AVODAH. Living for a year with people from different Jewish backgrounds has made me not only more aware of diverse Jewish practices, but more genuinely curious and engaged in conversations about Jewish identity. For my sister, this was all she needed. Knowing that I cared about her experience was more important than playing strictly by the rules.
We ended up staying at the bayit anyways and sharing a glorious Shabbat, both compromising our regular Saturday routine in the interest of spending quality time with each other: I gave up driving and email for the day (no small task for a technophile like myself) and Sophie agreed to attend Reform services (with guitar!) at a shul within walking distance of the house. After services Friday night we stayed up late with the current Corps Members, talking and laughing. We slept in on Saturday and spent the day reading and lounging. I felt truly relaxed for the first time in a long while and it gave me peace of mind to know that my sister fit in seamlessly with my family away from home here in New Orleans. After sharing this day of bliss, it was hard to see her go, but having experienced the welcoming embrace of AVODAH, Sophie told me she finally recognized what she was looking for in a community. This is exactly what AVODAH strives to do: welcome us in while still challenging our boundaries and provide us with a model of community towards which we can strive for the rest of our lives.
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