Beyond the Classroom: Sadie Habas (CFA’25)

I am a Social Justice Fellow, meaning I attend bi-weekly education meetings at Hillel to learn and discuss food justice through a Jewish lens. I have a service placement in the greater Boston area where I volunteer at a soup kitchen, namely Haley House in Back Bay. Here, I serve folks from under-resourced communities, cooking and preparing their meals as well as cleaning the soup kitchen itself. Also, I have some communal responsibilities in SJF to connect with and learn from the other fellows, such as Shabbat dinners and hikes. I apply what I learn in meetings to the service itself, and work to dismantle institutionalized racism in our food system.

I learned about the Social Justice Fellowship through reaching out to representatives within Hillel. I emailed the head of the program, Dana Blackman Brown, and then applied online. Afterward, I had an interview with Dana herself.

I have been able to volunteer at Haley House which has been an informative and fulfilling experience. I have learned so much about the structural oppression of food access and how I can work to change it. Finally, I have delved into my Jewish identity in a way that I never have before, which has been wonderful.

In CFA, I have learned how to be a strong communicator through the art form that is performing. My voice teacher has taught me so much about communicating the meaning of a piece. In a sense, she was a strong preparatory resource. Thus, I have used that knowledge of expression in the internship, in both the bi-weekly discussion meetings and in the service itself.

My coursework at CFA is quite different from what I am doing in my internship, as my classes center around music and the Social Justice Fellowship is about the importance of engaging in justice to dismantle systems of oppression. However, in a class I took my first semester titled “Doing, Making & Knowing: The CFA Experience,” I learned about artistry being used as a tool for engaging in justice work. Therefore, what I learned in that course has enriched my work in the fellowship.

I think the internship has helped me prepare for my work beyond BU in that I know I would like to combine music and justice in some tangible way as a working person. What I have learned in SJF has inspired me to take action in the world even more than I already have and use the tools I learn in music to do just that.

I have learned how to plan my time wisely, communicate eloquently, and how identity is so central to being an artist.

This may sound cliche, but pursue something that interests you deeply! When you are engaging in work that gives you energy and activates your mind, it is that much more motivating. You will be more likely to want to put in the hours to what you are doing.

I hope to continue to explore the intersectionalities between music and justice and use my voice in society to better it and make it fair and just for all people.