Tag Archives: texas

A New Resistance

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GOOD MORNING, AMERICA. HOW ARE YOU?

For the next 4 weeks, I’m going to make these 6 phone calls every day, except Shabbat. I wanted to give myself a limited time to see if I could pull it off without pulling my hair out.

Today, I want to let them know that I oppose Sessions appointment to Attorney General. He is unfit to serve.

Day One:
Cornyn’s Washington office: Can’t reach a staffer, though there are many rabbit holes to follow on the options menu. They all lead nowhere.
Cornyn’s Austin office: Busy signal.

Cruz’s Washington office: Their voicemail inbox is full.
Cruz’s Austin office: Found a lovely, yet repetitive human! (It only took about 5 tries.)

In William’s DC office, a lovely human being named Elise answered the phone and listened to my concern. Super polite.
William’s Austin office: Voicemail inbox full…….

On my way out of town, I might stop by Cornyn’s 6th Street office – just to check to see if he is okay!
Senator Cornyn, you’re not answering ANY of your telephones, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

Note: It only took about 20 minutes to call, including trying each number a few times and talking the two people I actually reached.

How Diverse is Your Diversity?

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Well, my friend Stacey told me that the average job search lasts six months. Depending on how you count it – I’m either in my sixth month or my fourth month. I’m not freaking out yet. I have faith that my 13 years of experience as an educator will be attractive to an Austin school. Or that my 13 years of working as a senior staff member in nonprofit organizations will be attractive to another nonprofit organization here in Austin.

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about the word diversity. I think that people use the word ‘diversity’ when they mean ‘includes members of some minorities.’ I think people are trying to make diverse staff teams that include some black people or some brown people or some gay people.

I’m not black or brown or gay, but I bet your organization doesn’t have anyone like me. I’ve lived in New York City, Jerusalem, Northern and Southern California as well as Austin, Texas. I’m not just Jewish. I’m a rabbi. A woman rabbi.

So, I guess the question really is: Is there a great school or a great nonprofit that is diverse enough to need me?

Honest – To a Fault

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I’m all about honesty. How can we work together well if we can’t have an honest conversation? I believe that we can talk anything through – if we start with honesty.

Unfortunately, lots of people see honesty as rude or inappropriate.

After seven years in Texas, I’ve learned that many people would prefer a gentle change of subject to my honest reaction to their question.

I think Texas has taught me this lesson. Here’s my evidence:

I had avoided talking to her for months, maybe years, because she seemed to twist my words and then spread them around. We ended up in the same place. I felt afraid. I smiled.

She threw her arms around me and gave me a long hug. Then, she told me that we ‘need’ to get together for coffee.

With a big smile on my face, I managed to respond: “I like coffee!”

Am I a Career Switcher?

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When my seminary recruited me, one of their selling points was: If you study Jewish Education now, you can always switch to secular education later in life….

BUT now that I’m actually trying to break into the world as a secular educator or a secular non profit professional, everyone only sees the Jewish experience and the Jewish degrees.

So, if anyone out there has guidance into how I can present my Jewish education experience and my Jewish communal service experience as valuable, translatable, transferable experience into the secular world of higher education and non profit management, please share.

Am I a career switcher? Is the switch from working in religious institutions to the secular world a career switch?

What’s the plan?

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I’m looking for a new job, and I’m learning how to best present myself. So, I’m planning to use this blog as a forum to tell my stories.

Everyone has stories, and everyone makes mistakes. These are stories about my mistakes. I aim to post a story or a question at least once each week.

Your feedback will help make my stories better and better. Thank you.