Friends, chevra, and comrades:

I'm sure many of you have been hearing about the budget that was approved by Congress on 2/25, which guts medicaid and SNAP. I have been relying on both Covered CA and CalFresh to pay for healthcare and food in the last several months, but am terrified that I may lose access to both of those resources while I continue to search for work.

Since being laid off in early 2024 from a non-profit organization, I've sent out applications and resumes, done several rounds of interviews, and even experienced the frustration of being ghosted by potential employers. My savings has been exhausted, and the small inheritance I received from my late grandma Lucy last summer was spent on crucial living expenses like rent and utilities.

Seeking help is very difficult for me. I was raised in an environment that idolizes self-sufficiency and considers lack to be an indicator of one's worth. That sense of worthlessness often haunts me, even though I know that my community loves and appreciates me. I have often found care and support in local organizers and fellow Jews.

I've been pursuing a dream since joining IfNotNow: serve the LA/OC community through coalition-building, and care for fellow Jews by becoming a rabbi. On the latter front, I've been accepted into Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb's Shomeret Shalom Ordination Program along with a cohort of around 50 others from across the country. I regularly seek out classes and seminars to further my education in areas like movement organizing, Jewish History, community building, and Biblical scholarship.

However, at this moment, I feel paralyzed and fearful, terrified at the prospect of losing my housing, access to medication, and the ability to buy food. I dread being trapped in a state of poverty and unfulfilled dreams.

If you have the means and are so moved, please donate and share. My goal is to gain some much-needed breathing room while I continue to job hunt, and to ease the financial burden of my education as I work to get back on my feet. I've put together an accounting of expenses [here] for transparency. Any help would mean the world to me. I love y'all.

In solidarity,
D