Dear Respected Members of the JAINA Family,
Jai Jinendra, Pranam !
I am honored to have this opportunity to introduce myself in the opening remarks of this JAINA newsletter. My name is Apurva Bhansali, and I am the Southwest Regional Vice President for the 2024-25 term. I am a first-generation American Jain, having been born and brought up my whole life in the United States. I have had the unique opportunity to be a founding member and former President of the Jain Sangh of Greater Austin, as well as being on the core team that built the first Jain Temple in Central Texas in 2018.
I am most excited to be the EC liaison to the Young Jain Professionals (YJP) and to help grow the organization into a vibrant community of Jains between the ages of 24 and 42. I have already started to see the energy of the YJP board and the YJP co-chairs, Ananya Jain and Ketul Kothari, materialize into a roadmap that will engage our next generation of Jains via exciting social, professional and spiritual development opportunities. Soon you will be seeing local YJP leaders in a majority of JAINA’s 72 member communities and they will be hosting local and virtual events which will strengthen the bonds between of these young Jain professionals and families.
In November of last year, I was part of the JAINA delegation that celebrated Jain Diwali at the White House. As an EC liaison to the Government and Public Affairs and Public Relations Committees, I will work with our committee volunteers to make sure that we spread more awareness of Jainism at the Federal, State and Local government levels and that we convert this awareness into advocacy for the issues that are aligned with Bhagwan Mahavir’s universal messages of Ahimsa, Anekantvad and Unity. I want to make sure that we use all the social media tools at our disposal to keep you informed of the great work JAINA is doing in North America and around the world.
I want to thank Bindeshbhai and the other EC members for giving me the opportunity to be an EC liaison to these very important JAINA entities and committees. While working on the 2023 Convention Board, I got to meet some of the most incredible and talented volunteers and dignitaries, and thisinspired me to pursue my new role on the JAINA EC I am always in awe of the dedication of the volunteers on these committees.Thanks to our past President, Hareshbhai Shah for introducing me to these amazing and dedicated individuals.I am really excited for the future of JAINA and look forward to contributing as much as I can to building that future together.
Warm Regards,
Apurva Bhansali
JAINA Southwest Regional Vice President
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Announcing JAINA Ombudsman Council and Directors-at-Large |
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- Mahesh Wadher (Chair)
- Gunvant Shah
- Ashok Domadia
- Prem Jain
- Dr. Sushil Jain
- Lata Champsi (Canada)
- Rajeev Pandya (New York)
- Sweta Daftary (Texas)
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The February 2024 edition of Jain Digest has been published.
Check the interesting article written by Prof. Cogen Bohanec, that tells us about the exemplary life of Acharya Sushil Kumar ji and gives us insight in his teachings with various quotes by Acharyashri ji along with some rare pictures.
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Another article by Jayana Shah narrates the story of Amitabh, a Yale MBA graduate who turned down a Wall Street job to help others in India. His NGO, Yuva Unstoppable, has aided over 7 million people and 5000 schools.
Here is the link to the February 2024 issue:
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The call aims to equip “Jain Project Champions” with tools and information essential for project success. Participants passionate about Jains, Jainism, and Jain Values, and particularly interested in projects with innovative pilot approaches or those aiming to scale up successful activities, are encouraged to join a project of their interest.
JAINA/Long Range Planning Committee/Jain Leadership Forum will be providing seed money ranging from $500 to $5,000 to selected projects.
Reach out to the JLF Projects Team at 901-240-2602 in case you have any questions.
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Sponsorship Opportunities @ Jain Leadership Forum |
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The JAINA Long Range Planning Committee is organizing the Jain Leadership Forum from April 5 to 7, 2024, in Chicago, IL, led by Dean Dr. Dipak Jain. This forum aims to bring influential leaders in the Jain community together to shape the future of Jains, Jainism, and Jain values in North America for the next 25 years. With an expected attendance of around 125 individuals, the forum will focus on launching impactful projects to support the growth and influence of Jainism.
The JAINA Long Range Planning Committee invite sponsorship to help gather leaders and launch innovative projects that will have a lasting impact on the Jain community. For more information, please reach out to one of the LRP Fundraising Committee members below or email us at jlfsponsorship@gmail.com.
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Please note that your Sponsorships are Tax-Deductible under IRS Code 501(c)(3).
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"A Guru is like a live road map. If you want to walk uncharted terrain, I think it is sensible to walk with a road map. - Jaggi Vasudev" |
We hope you enjoyed and were able to imbibe some of the non-attachment techniques from the last issue.
This time we have brought forth the names of some exalted souls; and their great minds that put together the treasure of knowledge that we possess today, in the form of Jain scriptures.
We are eternally indebted to these distinguished Acharyas or Mahagurus, for their invaluable contribution to the world of Jainism, that we would never have known without their guidance.
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After two months of deliberation, the new Executive Committee has assumed leadership, overseeing significant reforms within the JAINA top leadership team. This includes the consolidation of various JAINA Committees and Committee Chairs. The reforms aim to implement administrative improvements, encouraging new volunteers to engage in community projects and assume leadership roles in various committees. Please see this latest and the final list of JAINA Committees for effective from April 2024 to March 2026. |
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Donate using Zelle - treasurer@jaina.org
Mail your Donations in favor of JAINA
JAINA Treasurer,
148 Tradewinds Cir. South Daytona, FL, 32119
JAINA accepts gifts of stocks. JAINA can accept donations from your Rupee account in India.
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Your donation is tax-deductible.
JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America) is a Non-Profit, tax-exempt organization registered under IRS Section 501 (C) (3) EL# 54-1280028
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JAINA Publication and subscription |
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For questions, contact secretary@jaina.org |
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