By dcc
My first job in high school was as a data entry clerk for the Los Angeles Jewish Federation's Israel Experience Program where I built an extremely tacky website that was thankfully edited within a few days of my departure. I served as cook, programmer and student development coordinator at Hillel, a youth group director in Sacramento, CA, a religious school teacher in Davis, CA and New York City, a counselor and unit head at summer camps in California and Texas, a legislative assistant for the RAC (rac.org) and finally as the Communications Manager for the Union.

My identity has been intertwined with the internal politics and external interactions of the institutional Jewish world for as long as I can remember. At 25 years old, I have ten years of work experience in this profession.  My entire life, both personally and professionally, has been inextricably linked to Jewish communal service.

But now, I no longer work for the Jewish community.

Last Friday was my last day at the Union. A unique, once-in-a-lifetime professional opportunity presented itself to me and I had to take a chance. This is more than just a new job for me; this new position will be my first job that is not directly connected to community service in general and is not within the "Jewish world" in particular.

Granted I am excited for this position but I was very worried about losing my connection to community life. Where else can you work on the weekly email newsletter for 36,000 people and then be asked to blow the shofar, as I was last Wednesday and Thursday at two separate Elul services in the office? In what other place are you encouraged to argue with senior staff about theology in the same meeting that you are directed to better cover the organization's programs in the blog and magazine? How could I possibly maintain my commitment to this community without working in such an environment?

Working for the Movement taught me many things but perhaps most importantly for this personal transition that there are many committed, engaged Reform Jews out there who work in the non-Jewish world. They take their responsibility for the future of the Jewish people as seriously as those in the upper echelons of the Union, HUC-JIR or the CCAR. These men and woman who sit on congregational boards, teach their children about the holidays, values and joy of Jewish life and work in secular jobs are just as responsible for the strength, diversity and breath of our Movement than the individuals walking the halls of our institutions. This blog is a testament to the power of our people driven Movement.

In the past I have looked up to rabbis, cantors and other professionals as the vanguard of the Jewish community, partly due to my proximity to these individuals. However over the past few months, I have been paying more attention to the vast majority of our community who do not hold titles from a seminary or religious institution. They work very hard, and often it is without any recognition.

These men and women take on vast responsibility and I look forward to continuing to reform my Jewish experience by being responsible for different aspects of our community. It is only fitting that we are entering the High Holiday season -- a time of transition and reflection for our entire community -- as I move to a new chapter in my professional life. I could not ask for a more appropriate way for my Jewish identity to transform than with the help of the traditions that shaped it in the first place.

I wish you all a sweet, healthy and joy filled 5769.

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