I have been avoiding writing this, because writing it down makes it too real. I have loved being the Director of Operations and Co-Director of Kadima. However, our family was hit with COVID at the end of September and I now have the additional post-COVID symptoms I was so scared of developing, in addition to my pre-existing chronic illnesses. Working has become untenable for my health and taking so much time off has become untenable for my coworkers and the community. So, I am consensually being laid off from my position.
I am devastated. This would have been the week I would have been back at work, and I miss it so much. I miss Rabbi David, who has been the best Co-Director the world has ever seen. I miss Val, her realness, her steadiness, her attention to detail. I miss Gilah, our conversations, their empathy, and their deep thoughtfulness. And of course I miss you all. I miss emails to and from members and I miss checking in and connecting. I miss fixing things. I miss meetings. I miss the database. I miss feeling connected and knowing I was making a difference. I miss the board and everyone who shows up to get things done and take care of each other.
I have worked at Kadima for six years, so I guess this is my traditional seventh year of rest. I have tremendous hope that it will be a time of renewal, albeit one I did not choose.
I love Kadima for so many reasons and am incredibly grateful to have gotten to be your Director of Operations and Co-Director. For one thing, Kadima has been the best working environment I have ever experienced. While I have been consistently overwhelmed and stressed out these past six years, and did my best to do a full-time job in half the time, nonetheless I was surrounded by caring, empathetic, genuine people who were willing to be imperfect, accept each other as we are, and do their/our best to grow and improve. That is the quality I most cherish about the Kadima community. At our best, we are willing to be imperfect and learn how to do better. It’s remarkable how unusual this quality is! As a recovering perfectionist, there is no better community for me than one that accepts me as I am. And as a queer, nonbinary, chronically ill, disabled, autistic, neuro extra-spicy, Jewish, Pagan person, there is no other community that truly accepts me at all! Kadima has always been the only community where I do not have to leave part of myself at home in order to participate. The value of that sense of belonging cannot be overstated.
So thank you. Thank you for being who you are, and making this community the gift that it is. I have done my best to support those gifts. While I wish with all of my heart that my health was stable enough to keep working, it is time to stop arguing with reality and let go.
I will continue to be around as a member and, now that I will not be using the vast majority of my spoons on working, maybe I’ll even be able to attend some events in-person! See you soon.
--Morgan Scherer
I am devastated. This would have been the week I would have been back at work, and I miss it so much. I miss Rabbi David, who has been the best Co-Director the world has ever seen. I miss Val, her realness, her steadiness, her attention to detail. I miss Gilah, our conversations, their empathy, and their deep thoughtfulness. And of course I miss you all. I miss emails to and from members and I miss checking in and connecting. I miss fixing things. I miss meetings. I miss the database. I miss feeling connected and knowing I was making a difference. I miss the board and everyone who shows up to get things done and take care of each other.
I have worked at Kadima for six years, so I guess this is my traditional seventh year of rest. I have tremendous hope that it will be a time of renewal, albeit one I did not choose.
I love Kadima for so many reasons and am incredibly grateful to have gotten to be your Director of Operations and Co-Director. For one thing, Kadima has been the best working environment I have ever experienced. While I have been consistently overwhelmed and stressed out these past six years, and did my best to do a full-time job in half the time, nonetheless I was surrounded by caring, empathetic, genuine people who were willing to be imperfect, accept each other as we are, and do their/our best to grow and improve. That is the quality I most cherish about the Kadima community. At our best, we are willing to be imperfect and learn how to do better. It’s remarkable how unusual this quality is! As a recovering perfectionist, there is no better community for me than one that accepts me as I am. And as a queer, nonbinary, chronically ill, disabled, autistic, neuro extra-spicy, Jewish, Pagan person, there is no other community that truly accepts me at all! Kadima has always been the only community where I do not have to leave part of myself at home in order to participate. The value of that sense of belonging cannot be overstated.
So thank you. Thank you for being who you are, and making this community the gift that it is. I have done my best to support those gifts. While I wish with all of my heart that my health was stable enough to keep working, it is time to stop arguing with reality and let go.
I will continue to be around as a member and, now that I will not be using the vast majority of my spoons on working, maybe I’ll even be able to attend some events in-person! See you soon.
--Morgan Scherer
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