Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
My first job was a bag boy at a local grocery store called Baker’s in Omaha, Nebraska. The Baker’s were a Jewish family that had been in the grocery business for years and had built a huge chain of supermarkets.
Being a bag boy clad in a white button- down shirt, khaki pants and a red apron was a coveted position, and I knew I was lucky to have it. (The fact that I was Jewish probably helped me secure this prestigious position!) I made $4.25 per hour plus tips - at Baker’s the bag boys wheeled out the carts and placed the groceries in our customers’ trunks.
Thanks to that job, I was able to make my very first individual gift to the Omaha Jewish Federation at the age of 16. The donation was $118, and it was three weeks’ worth of pay. To this day, that gift still instills a great deal of pride in myself and was most likely the beginning of my Federation career. I believed then, as I still do now, that it is our responsibilities as Jews to take care of each other.
We are getting SO close to closing The Birmingham Jewish Federation’s 2020 Annual Campaign. In fact, as of today we are only 4% away from our $2 million dollar goal. The support you provide to the Federation enables us to help so many organizations both local and national including Collat Jewish Family Services, N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, Levite JCC, Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, Hillel at U of A and Auburn, BBYO, Jewish War Veterans, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Community Relations Council, You Belong In Birmingham, PJ Library, Israel Connections and Israel World Jewish Bureau which in itself provides funding to more than 15 overseas organizations.
Last week I wrote to you about a generous matching program through the Jewish Federations of North America. JFNA has announced a $.50 on the dollar match for any new gift or increases committed from now until December, up to $60,000. All matching dollars will be used towards agency allocations involving health and human services so that they may continue to provide the necessary support during these uncertain times. This is $60,000 additional dollars that will stay in our local community.
I am once again asking those of you who have not made their pledge or those who are able to raise their gifts by any amount to please consider doing so by contacting me or donating at bjf.org/donate.
While my days in the grocery business are long gone, my love for my Jewish community and the important needs that the Federation supports have never wavered.
Wishing you a week of health and peace,
Danny
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JDC announces its first female CEO |
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The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee announced on Sunday the appointment of Ariel Zwang as their new CEO, who will be the first woman to lead the global Jewish nonprofit in its more than 100-year history.
She will be coming to the JDC after 12 years as CEO of Safe Horizon, a New York-based nonprofit which provides services to victims of violent crime, and seven years at New York Cares, which organizes volunteers to address social issues in New York City.
The JDC, often called the Joint, was founded in 1914 by wealthy Jacob Schiff, an American-Jewish philanthropist, and Henry Morgenthau, U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, to provide much needed aid to the struggling Jewish settlement in Palestine.
With a $373 million dollar budget, it operates in more than 70 countries and provides funding and aid to support Jewish life and communities, mostly in Israel and the former Soviet Union.
“Today’s work — building the future of the global Jewish people, support for those in economic distress, including the elderly and Holocaust survivors, and working with Israel to provide opportunity for its vulnerable — is profoundly meaningful to me,” Zwang said in a statement.
The Forward
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How to be comfortable having uncomfortable conversations: Turn Down The Heat
America is so split that trying to speak across the divide feels impossible. Whether it is one on one, with friends, family or your community, discussions about race, politics or Israel seem to be too heated and contentious to have. How can we have these important and necessary conversations without “all the heat”? How can you practice self-care as you enter into uncomfortable conversations? How to rethink what success looks like during a difficult conversation.
Join us for this timely virtual conversation with Billy Planer of Etgar 36, an “independent, pluralistic, nonpartisan and nonprofit Jewish educational venture.” Etgar 36leads Civil Rights journeys in the Southeast, drawing on history to empower groups to take action. This is a pay-what-you can event and we will be asking participants to register ahead of time.
The Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna
November 1, 2020 at 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Great Synagogue of Vilna, the spiritual and physical home of the Lithuanian Jews, was one of the oldest and most significant religious and cultural sites of Eastern European Jewry. It was ransacked during WWII and then destroyed by the Soviets in 1956. An elementary school was built on top of the remains.
Be among the first to see a sneak peek of “The Secrets of the Synagogue,” a film that chronicles the process to uncover, document, and preserve this grand religious institution in Vilna. Then on November 1, you are invited to a riveting discussion with part of the team that made this amazing discovery possible:
- Dr. Richard Freund, US Archaeologist
- Loic Salfati, Lithuanian Film Project Director
- Dr. Harry Jol, Geoscientist and GPR (ground penetrating radar) Expert
- Dr. Phil Reeder, Lead Cartographer
JewCurious?
NOVEMBER 4 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Recurring Event (See all) $25
Are you JewCurious? Have you heard that Judaism is about asking questions? Questions are the start of a great conversation. I would say, Judaism is about a great conversation. Come learn more about what that conversation sounds like by joining this JewCurious Class. This class is for everyone looking to get a broad overview of Judaism. This 101 class lasts for 20 weeks and is open to anyone who is curious. We’ll explore the major narratives, history, practices, theology and values of Judaism. You can expect that the learning will happen with curiosity and open-mindedness and respect for one another’s boundaries and beliefs. Taught by Bethany Slater from Temple Beth El. To register: https://templebethel.nirsham.com/form/jewcurious2020
Kol Tzedek: A Virtual Conference on Racial Justice with USCJ
NOVEMBER 9 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Recurring Event (See all) $18
Join the Beth El congregants and the USCJ for an engaging conference on racial justice and community organizing for synagogues and lay professionals and lay-leaders. Interact with experts, hear success stories from synagogues doing important justice work, and gain tools to initiate and build on social justice work in your community. This is the opening panel for a three-day workshop on this topic. See more about the panelists and the program and to register at this link.
The Holocaust in Focus: Who Took The Pictures?
NOVEMBER 12 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Photographs of Holocaust events and places have become some of our lasting memories. But do we really appreciate what those photographs have to tell us?
This series, “The Holocaust in Focus,” will narrow the focus on iconic Holocaust photographs and critically examine what we know and how we know it. In this first session, Amy McDonald will examine photographs from across the historical timeline of the Holocaust, looking at “Who Took the Pictures” and how that informs our historical knowledge.
Financial Assistance Available
for Jewish Community Members
Thanks to a grant from the Greatest Needs Fund of the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s COVID Relief Campaign, Collat Jewish Family Services is offering financial assistance to Jewish community members who are facing financial insecurity because of job loss, caring for family or other issues. Confidential assistance is available to members of the Birmingham Jewish community who need help with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, prescription costs or other needs. To learn more, please email CJFS Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser LICSW, marcy@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438.
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Visit the community calendar for more details!
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The Birmingham Jewish Federation
@jewishbirmingham
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