Resilience
re·sil·ience
the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
On February 27, I lost my dream job because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
The layoff came less than two months after losing my childhood home to the Palisades fire.
Now recovering from COVID-19, I had to cancel what I thought was a well-timed trip abroad, a perfect opportunity to reset after these painful hits.
Am I going through the wringer? Epically so. But I will be okay.
While 2025 tries to give 2013 (the year my Aunt Michelle was murdered) a run for its money, I know this much: all of us need resilience right now.
More people will lose their jobs, whether from DOGE firings, stop-work orders, tariffs, or their collective ripple effects. Even if you remain unscathed, someone you care about probably won’t be.
If the only way this news affects you is that it’s upsetting—and all you have to do is change the channel or look away from your phone—here’s my question:
What are you willing to do to keep it that way before you experience direct harm?
Putting your head in the sand won’t cut it.
Just based on what has already happened, millions will die here and abroad. Fewer cancer treatments and vaccines will be invented. Ebola could eventually spread to America.
No one person can fix everything. But shrinking away entirely because it’s hard gives Trump and Musk exactly what they want: our acquiescence.
Resilience is muscle memory for me, shaped by the many losses and challenges my family has endured since Michelle’s death. But I desperately don’t want you to have to learn it from devastation. Find the things that give strength to move forward without losing compassion for those around you.
I’m still working on following my own advice.
In the meantime, we have a country to save. The hits will keep coming, requiring more resilience of us to sustain our vision of a reconstructed liberal democracy beyond this dark time. Onward.
As I take time to recover, I’m pursuing opportunities in the public affairs sector (think government/community/external relations and/or public policy) at director+ levels or higher, with preference for remote or hybrid in LA. Many thanks to all who have helped me so far - it’s never taken for granted!
Have ideas? Let’s chat! Email me and connect on LinkedIn.
Even as I continue my own job hunt, I won’t stop helping others with theirs.
Jobs
JCRC Bay Area: Managing Director
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel: Field Representative (LA)
APLU: Associate, Public Affairs, Sr. Associate, Governmental Affairs, Sr. Associate, Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (DC)
Equality California: Creative & Marketing Manager, Grants Manager (LA)
ALLMEP: Manager, Social Media & Donor Communications (Remote)
Planned Parenthood Keystone: Director of Individual Giving (Philadelphia)
Pivotal: Director, Grants Management (DC, Seattle)
RAC: Lead Organizer (CA)
Oath: Community Manager (NYC)
LA Councilmember Nithya Raman: Legislative Dir. / Sr. Legislative Deputy, Field Deputy, Homelessness Deputy
California Immigrant Policy Council: Multiple Positions
J Street: Director of Communications (DC), Engagement Assistant (Boston) Israel Program Associate/Senior Associate (Tel Aviv), Engagement Team Intern (Remote)
HIAS: Director of Business Development, Business Development Manager
Voters of Tomorrow: Digital Associate (Remote)
Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project: Multiple Positions (LA)
Zoox: Senior State Policy & Government Affairs Manager (Foster City)
Room & Board: Retail Sales Associate / Design Associate (Pasadena)
Israel Policy Forum: Event Operations Associate (NYC, DC), Human Resources & Administration Manager (NYC)
Civic Joy Fund: Organizing Director (SF)
JFCS-East Bay: Chief Development Officer (Berkeley)
Coro NorCal: CEO (SF)
Shalom Hartman Institute: VP, Rabbinic Initiatives, Director of Foundation Relations & Outreach (NYC)
Economic Security Project: Campaigns Communications Dir., Associate Dir., Major Gifts, Executive Assistant, Dir. of Finance & Administration (Remote)
JCPA: Director of Communications (DC, NYC)
Bet Tzedek Legal Services: AVP, Justice for Tenants, Homeowners, & Unhoused Individuals
Genentech: Senior Director- Program Operations (South SF)
JFSSD: Multiple Positions (San Diego, Palm Springs)
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Foundation: Dir. of Individual Giving & Stewardship, Manager of Development Operations & Events (LA)
Bend the Arc: Director of Advocacy & Political Affairs (DC), Major Gifts Officer (Remote)
Urban Peace Institute: Volunteer Board Member (LA or Remote)
Windward School: IDEAS Lab Specialist (LA)
CORE: Disaster Case Manager, Area Manager (LA)
Project Shema: Operations Coordinator, Project Coordinator (Remote)
Stephen Wise Temple: Sr. Dir. Early Childhood Education (LA)
Keshet: President & CEO
Repair the World: Senior Program Associate (Atlanta)
Foundation for Jewish Camp: Chief Advancement Officer (Remote)
CHIRLA: Director of Finance (LA)
Congregation B’nai Israel: Executive Director (Sacramento)
JCCSF: Lead Preschool Teacher
Wilshire Blvd Temple: HRIS Analyst, Lead General Studies Teacher, Sunday Religious School Site Coordinator, Senior Accountant, Staff Accountant (LA)
Karsh Family Social Service Center: On-Call Admin. Assistant (LA)
Brandeis School of SF: Resident Teacher, Middle School Math Teacher
Congregation Emanu-El: Lead Early Educator (SF)
Temple Etz Chaim: Executive Director (Thousand Oaks)
Shalom Bayit: Administrative Assistant (Bay Area)
Berkeley Hillel: Manager of Leadership & Engagement, Program & Engagement Associate
Pressman Academy: Judaic Studies Teacher, Hebrew Teacher (LA)
JDC: Dir. of Events & Donor Recognition, Sr. Dev. Officer, Resource Development Associate (NYC), Budget Control Coordinator (Jerusalem)
American Friends of Magen David Adom: Social Media Manager, Campaign Associate (NYC), Campaign Associate (LA)
AJC: Multiple Positions
JIAS Toronto: Multiple Positions
JFedLA: Dev. Officer, Entertainment Network, General Ledger Accountant, Campaign Assistant
Search for Common Ground: Associate Director, Major Gifts (West Coast)
Temple Adat Elohim: Director of K-12 Education (Thousand Oaks)
Milken Community School: Jewish Studies Teacher (LA)