Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
There are so many ways that we find inspiration in our daily lives. I myself have my office walls lined with people who have inspired me and whose values help guide my path. Hanging from the wall opposite my desk are pictures of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Theodore Herzl, Martin Luther King, Jr., David Ben Gurion and Gold Meir. It sounds like a joke set up, right? A guy walks into a Federation Office and sees…..except it’s not a joke! Each day I come in, turn on my computer, look at the pictures and try to channel the goodness, steadfastness and values of those leaders before I get to work. This week I added a new addition – Dora Roth.
When I first started my job at the Federation I noticed Dora’s picture hung in the lobby right by the mailboxes. It looked as if she was guarding the campaign contributions that came in each day. Dora watched this past year as the contributions rose over $2 million! I am sure she would be pleased at how the Federation has grown since she founded it in 1936 on the tail of the Great Depression.
The Birmingham Jewish Federation was originally named The Birmingham United Jewish Fund. During Dora’s first year serving as Executive Secretary the Fund raised $24,000 which is equivalent to approximately $500,000 today. Dora held her position until 1965 and was pivotal in not only building and funding our community, but she also played a key role in the resettlement of Jews following the atrocities of WWII. I decided the more I found out about Dora, the less her placement in front of our mailboxes was appropriate. Her painting is presently a permanent fixture in my office along with my other mentors! I now ask myself each day – What would Dora Do?
So much has changed since that first campaign in 1936 yet so much has remained the same. Women then and now are at the forefront of our communal institutions; in fact, I am the only male executive of a Jewish agency in Birmingham. The Federation, CJFS, BHEC and soon the Day School will all have women presidents. There is a saying that behind every great man, there is a great woman, but I would argue in this community it is the opposite – in fact I am not sure that any of the women then or now needed a man to propel our community forward. Here in Birmingham the women often lead the way.
A testament to that is our recently launched Woman’s Philanthropy program, which I hope you have read about in some of my previous messages. This past week more than 50 women gathered via zoom for an incredible program featuring Mayim Bialik, another strong independent Jewish woman. This gathering is the first of many on the horizon. I encourage every woman in our community to join us at the virtual Lion of Judah conference January 24 and 25th by registering here. The event is free and open to all women in the community and promises to be an inspiring gathering of yet more strong Jewish women changing the world. Please invite the women in your life to join you!
As I close this week’s message with Dora looking at me, with not quite a smile on her face, I again will ask each of you to consider “What Would Dora Do” as we launch our 85th campaign next month. Think of her when you attend our events or make your pledge, and know as I do, that she would be so proud of what we continue to accomplish here in Jewish Birmingham.
Wishing you a restful Shabbat and a week of peace.
Danny
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Stay tuned for more exciting details
Please click the registration buttons below to register
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Jewish Learning in India
Your gifts help us & our partners such as The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee bring Jewish learning to India! Thank you!
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Images are courtesy of JDC |
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Amidst the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, dozens of Jews recently gathered to learn the art of Israeli cooking and discuss the future of the Jewish community in India. These activities might seem unlikely for a tiny Jewish community in a predominantly Hindu country. But through a Jewish Federation-supported program, the Jews of Mumbai had the opportunity to celebrate Indian and global Jewish culture.
These workshops and many more were part of Mumbai’s inaugural daylong Limmud, a volunteer-driven informal Jewish learning conference. Limmud was organized by 10 volunteers and a staff member from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a Jewish Federation partner agency, and held at Mumbai’s JDC-supported Jewish community center.
The decision to bring the internationally renowned event to Mumbai and its 4,000 Jews started more than 3,000 miles away—in China. Four Indians attended that country’s first Limmud, in Shanghai, and returned home inspired and committed to bringing Limmud to Mumbai.
Seven months later, the event came to fruition. For just 300 rupees (about $5), attendees –120 adults and 30 children, ranging in age from 4 to 80—were able to choose from eight different 45-minute workshops on a variety of topics, from Krav Maga, an Israel form of self-defense, to panel discussions on successful Jews in business. Children learned about Jewish heroes and studied Hebrew in a parallel Young Limmud.
For organizer Nurith Samuel, the JCC was the obvious event venue. “The JCC is the center and anchor of our Jewishness in a multicultural city like Mumbai. The JCC is a place of many firsts for me personally, a place where I began my journey of discovering my Jewish identity, a place where I’ve made some lifelong pals, a place that nurtured an awkward teenager into a young Jewess ready to take on the world,” she said. “There could be no better place than the JCC and no more supportive a partner than JDC to launch the first-ever Limmud in India.”
Given Limmud’s success, Samuel and other organizers are hopeful that it will become an annual event.
“As part of the small Bene Israeli community in Mumbai, I have come to value the idea of being responsible for others and hope that at the end of Limmud India some participants came to value this idea, too,” said Samuel.
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Welcoming the Stranger:
Local Response to the Global Migration Crisis
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Jewish Summer Camp
-Scholarships Available for 2021-
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There is great hope that the Summer of 2021 will see Jewish summer camps once again be filled with fellowship, fun and great learning experiences. Most Jewish camps cancelled their 2020 sessions due to COVID-19 but are gearing up to welcome campers back in 2021. Collat Jewish Family Services, with support from the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, is ready to help families apply for both local and regional scholarships.
Although many Jewish camp scholarships are awarded based on financial need, campers currently in grades 1 through 9 who will be experiencing their FIRST Jewish sleepaway camp experience are also eligible for a one-time $1,500 grant with no financial need requirement. This special funding is offered through the Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience Incentive Grant Program.
In addition, need-based scholarships are available for campers of all ages, regardless of camp experience, through the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, Jewish Children’s Regional Services, many synagogues and many of the camps themselves. Application deadlines are SOON so begin your application process today.
In past years, scholarship funds have been used to help Birmingham families send their children to an array of Jewish camps, including:
To learn more about Jewish camp scholarships and how to apply, contact Lynn Rathmell, lynn@cjfsbham.org or 205.278-7105.
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Tuesdays February 9, 16, & 23 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Come together with JDC for a three-part virtual journey to Israel featuring stunning nature views, from the North to the Negev.
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel is continuing to grapple with the long-term implications of the crisis for the elderly, children and youth at risk, and the nation's job-seekers.
Discover how JDC is helping Israel chart a new course for the most vulnerable — breaking down boundaries and increasing opportunities for all.
Join us on this powerful journey. All are welcome!
Orna Stern and Susan Weiss Firestone
Event Co-Chairs
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Join the LJCC Annual Meeting January 17 |
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Join the Levite Jewish Community Center on Sunday, Jan. 17 for our Annual Meeting at 1 pm. The Annual Meeting will take place virtually and will last about 30 minutes. Many of the programs and services that the J provides on an annual basis, as well as the programs and services created in 2020 to address needs that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, will be featured and new LJCC Board of Director members will be installed. To register for the virtual meeting please click the button below: |
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On January 24 and 25, meet the world’s most influential female philanthropists. Join us for the 2021 International Lion of Judah Conference — a conference that’s virtual, and #VirtuallyLimitless.
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Mensch Adventures
January 17 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Sunday afternoon, in-person, socially-distant, outdoor adventures for the sake of building empathy, integrity, kindness, and civic-mindedness. During our monthly adventures, we will focus on building our awareness of contemporary social challenges and Torah’s power to help us be better thinkers, feelers, and doers. Students will need to wear masks at all times and we ask that you bring your own kosher-style snacks and water bottles. This is a program organized out of Beth El for 4th-8th graders. It is open to all children in the community. Contact Margaret if you are interested in participating or would like more information (mnorman@templebet-el.net).
“The New Jewish Canon”:
A Conversation about Contemporary Judaism
January 19 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have been a period of mass production and proliferation of Jewish ideas, and have witnessed major changes in Jewish life and stimulated major debates. Join this class to talk about the book, “The New Jewish Canon,” which came out this year in July. This book offers a conceptual roadmap to make sense of some of this rapid change. The New Jewish Canon is an entry point for the Jewish intellectual and communal zeitgeist of the contemporary period and the recent past, canonizing our most important ideas and debates of the past two generations; and just as importantly, stimulating debate and scholarship about what is yet to come. Join Rebbetzin Bethany with your lunch on zoom to talk about some of these debates. Register here for the zoom link.
JewCurious?
January 20 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
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: Click here to register!
Introduction to Judaism with Rabbi Adam Wright
January 26 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Join us for an engaging 12-session course for anyone interested in exploring Jewish life. Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those rearing Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering a “return” – (conversion), and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience. Our programs welcome people from all backgrounds. Topics include holidays, life cycle celebrations, theology and core beliefs, prayer, Torah, history, antisemitism, and the Holocaust, Zionism, and Israel, the North American Jewish experience, and the tapestry of the Jewish people today. Register here.
JCRC Lunch & Learn:
Alabama Interfaith Refugee Partnership
January 28 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lynda Wilson, President of the Alabama Interfaith Refugee Partnership, will talk about the founding and work of the AIRP, a 501C-3 charitable organization dedicated to supporting refugees and asylum-seekers locally and globally through direct assistance, education, and advocacy. Register here!
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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The Birmingham Jewish Federation
@jewishbirmingham
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