Janani Sivakumar. Credit: Sivakumar Kalyanasundaram

By Allison Teegardin 

In August 2023, University of Texas Austin student Janani Sivakumar enrolled in a Jewish Studies internship course which combines a weekly classroom lecture with 10 weekly hours in an internship role focused on a social justice aspect. Through the course, she was connected with Shalom Austin’s Volunteer Director Joan Eisenberg Maniere who helped coordinate the volunteer hours for her.    

Volunteers with Shalom Austin like Sivakumar serve both the Jewish community as well as the Greater Austin area. Eisenberg Maniere says, “Our volunteer program centers on gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) and kehilla (community) addressing high priority needs such as homelessness, food insecurity, refugee resettlement, and social/Jewish connection for socially isolated individuals.” 

Sivakumar’s internship activities centered around her interest in refugee resettlement, leading her to volunteer with the Austin Independent School District Sewing Collective and Ladies Let’s Talk.   

The AISD Sewing Collective, in collaboration with Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees, is an opportunity for women to learn sewing skills. In addition to sewing projects and learning to use an electronic machine, participants form new friendships, practice English, and gain confidence.   

As a volunteer here, Sivakumar helped watch children while their mothers participated in the sewing collective. “I felt that the women were satisfied with the sewing collective program and excited to learn new skills and be able to sell their projects,” Sivakumar said. What’s more, Sivakumar was also exposed to new things during her experience. “There was a potluck event where I had the chance to try Afghani food for the first time and it was great. I am a foodie and enjoyed trying many new flavors.”   

 The other experience Sivakumar participated in was Ladies Let’s Talk which helps refugee and immigrant women improve their English skills and gain confidence in a safe, supportive environment. While volunteering with Ladies Let’s Talk, Sivakumar talked with participants over Zoom sessions. “At a Brunch and Learn event, the women shared about the impact the program made on their lives and how appreciative and grateful they were to be supported in a foreign country,” Sivakumar said.  

Summing up both volunteering experiences, Sivakumar said, “I really enjoyed working with all these women. It can be hard to connect with strangers from different cultures, especially with a language barrier, and this was an excellent way to do that.”  

In addition to volunteering, the experience also included a classroom component which included lectures from her professor as well as guest speakers where Sivakumar says she learned a lot about Judaism.  

“The biggest and most significant takeaway for me was how much Judaism focused on social justice, respect, and treating others with kindness and basic human decency,” Sivakumar said. “I originally believed that no religion that I knew of emphasized caring for people in this much regard, but once I learned about Judaism, I was amazed by how thoughtful the teachings are.   

“Throughout the course, I learned about the community and culture fostered around helping others, and it made me think back to how I was raised. I never had a community that was built on helping people, and my culture doesn’t emphasize it either. This course taught us about teachings involving the poor, the sick, employer and employee relationships, etc., and everything we learned was fascinating and at its core, very kind. I’m glad to have had such a wonderful outlook on a religion I originally knew nothing about, and I hope to learn more!”