Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
|
|
I hope you all enjoyed Purim and that your joy has increased in the month of Adar. There was A LOT of celebrating in our house as Thursday was also Nora’s 6th birthday. Between the cake and hamantaschen, I believe she will be on a sugar rush for at least another week! And while WE didn’t bake the hamantaschen, my mom, Grammy Pam, came through once again – although you’d think after 43 years, she’d remember I detest poppy seeds. None the less I am thankful, and I hope next year she and Nora will be able to make them together again in person.
Since January, you have been reading about many of the local agencies The Birmingham Jewish Federation funds. Today, I want to share with you an international project funded by our local Israel World Jewry Bureau (IWJB) with our partner Operation LifeShield. Operation LifeShield is an emergency effort to save innocent lives by providing Israel’s threatened communities with the protected air raid shelters they so desperately need. Last week, we, along with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, delivered a shelter next to a school bus stop in Kfar Maimon (Sdot Negev Region). This location is extremely important as the school children only receive up to 15 seconds warning to take shelter before a Hamas rocket attack. Pictured below with the shelter is Yossi Greenfield, former Security Chief, Ashkelon.
|
|
Thank you for your continued support of The Birmingham Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign so that we can continue to help those in need around the world.
This week I also want to apprise you of another giving opportunity that isn’t quite so far from home. As we all saw on the national news, our brothers and sisters in the state of Texas were hit hard with a winter natural disaster of epic proportions. Home to around 130,000 Jews, the people of Texas have experienced no shortage of recent crises. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey decimated the Houston area, flooding thousands of Jewish homes and causing millions of dollars in catastrophic damage to several synagogues and other Jewish institutions. In 2019, a Category 3 tornado struck Dallas, bringing more property damage to Jewish communities. And, of course, they have suffered from the pandemic, as have all of our Jewish communities. The Jewish Federations of North America has set up a national mailbox so that contributions can immediately flow into Texas and be allocated to the greatest need. If you would like to contribute to the recovery in Texas, you may do so by clicking here.
As we all know giving tzedakah is equal to all the other mitzvot in the Torah. I thank you for your continued support of the BJF so that we can continue to make the future brighter for our community and those who need our support both at home and abroad.
Wishing you a restful Shabbat and a peaceful week.
B’Shalom,
Danny
|
|
See your Federation dollars at work! |
|
Please click the registration button below to register |
|
Austria refugee home inspired by Holocaust experience
saved by former resident
|
|
Sukhdeep Singh stands in front of the Laura Gatner House in Hirtenberg near Baden, Lower Austria, where he used to live. (ALEX HALADA / AFP) |
|
"The white paint has not yet dried, but as Sukhdeep Singh walks through the house where he used to live in the Austrian town of Baden, he is already picturing the refugees who — thanks to him — will soon be calling it home.
It was where he himself lived after he left his native Punjab region of India as a teenager to start a new life in Europe.
When the Christian organization that previously ran the site as a home for unaccompanied migrant children said it was impossible to continue running it, Sukhdeep Singh stepped in to save it from being sold to developers.
Singh’s connection to the house and its founder is a deep one."
Click here to read the full article and learn more about Singh's experience and how he is giving back to the Jewish community and helping those in need!
|
|
Partnership Program!
When Democracy Gets Stuck
This Sunday, February 28 at 11 AM!
Join Mitchell Barak and Robert Mann for an informative and engaging discussion on how civics and governance structures work in Israel and in the United States - and what we can do when those mechanisms become stuck.
Mitchell Barak is a pollster, strategic communicator, and messaging expert. Called an “Israeli-American public opinion expert” by the Wall Street Journal, his opinions and surveys have been quoted hundreds of times by leading publications like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, Politico, The Globe and Mail, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, and many others. He also appears regularly on the BBC and Al Jazeera as a guest analyst. A New York native, Mitchell holds a BA degree in Political Science and Psychology from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and their eight children in Jerusalem.
Robert Mann holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication. Prior to joining the Manship School in 2006, he served as communications director to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. He joined the governor’s staff in 2004 after serving 17 years as state director and press secretary to U.S. Senator John Breaux of Louisiana. Before his service on Breaux’s staff, he was press secretary to U.S. Senator Russell Long of Louisiana. He was also press secretary for the 1990 re-election campaign of U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana, and communications director for the 2003 Blanco campaign. In 2015, he was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame.
|
|
This event is jointly hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Birmingham Jewish Federation, in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel's Partnership2Gether program.
|
|
Jewish Summer Camp:
Scholarships Available
|
|
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,
|
|
Please join us for our 2021 Annual Fundraiser—a COVID-safe, family-friendly progressive driving supper throughout Birmingham.
The driving dinner and history tour will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2021 from 1:00-4:00pm. The tour route and historical content is being developed in partnership with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and a portion of the funds raised for this event will be donated to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
The event, “Intersections of Judaism and Civil Rights in Birmingham,” is our first ever “Nosh & Learn” takeout tour. Along the tour route, participants will learn about civil rights and Jewish history in the comfort of your car with food stops along the way. Your tour will be guided by a podcast narrated by community leaders as well as a tour booklet which will explain the nuances of the Jewish story in conversation with the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama.
This driving tour is a sneak peek into the development of the Beth El Civil Rights Experience; a multimedia project focused on this underexplored history, coming to Birmingham Fall 2021. The Beth El Civil Rights Experience includes the implementation of a visitor’s site, creation of a short documentary film and app-based audio tour, and public-facing programming on Civil Rights past and present.
|
|
JCRC Lunch and Learn Program |
|
On Wednesday, March 24th, join us for a frank look at the challenges and issues facing our prison system and what our state government is doing to address over incarceration
in our state.
The JCRC Lunch & Learn series are an effort to raise awareness in our Jewish community about area organizations and people who are working to repair our world. This program is being offered in conjunction with Temple Beth El’s Tirdof series. Tirdof programs provide opportunity for reflection, conversation and action.
|
|
A Virtual Evening with Dr. Michael Saag
February 27 @ 7 – 9 PM
The N. E. Miles Jewish Day School
Join us via zoom for an evening with nationally renowned Dr. Michael Saag. Dr. Saag will be answering your questions and addressing concerns about living within the current COVID era and beyond. Admission prices are as follows: $90 includes online access to the event.
Against Analogy: Talking About Racism and Anti-Semitism Together and Apart
February 28 @ 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
When is it illuminating to see our story in others? When does analogy obscure? Join us for this discussion on the intersections and divergences of racism and anti-Semitism and the pros and cons of comparative conversations. Dr. Daniel Levine, Professor of Political Science and Chair of Judaic Studies at University of Alabama, will lead us in discussion and participants will be asked to do a short reading ahead of time. See the Temple Beth El calendar for Zoom registration. Register here!
YBIB Purim Party and Hamantashen Bake
February 28 @ 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
You Belong in Birmingham
On February 28th, at 3:00 pm, YBIB as well as Temple Beth-el, Temple Emanu-el, and Knesseth Israel will be hosting hamantaschen bake and costume party! Dress up in your favorite costume and meet us at Knesseth Israel. Everyone will social distance outside to bake and celebrate Purim. You will receive your own dough ball and fillings to make hamantaschen you can take home! Register here!
N. E. Miles Jewish Day School Virtual Open House For Prospective Families
February 28 @ 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The N. E. Miles Jewish Day School
Please join us for a presentation by the N. E. Miles Jewish Day School. This will be an opportunity for prospective families to learn more about our programs, hear from faculty, students and current family members, and go on a virtual tour of our facility. Register here!
"The New Jewish Canon”:
A Conversation about Contemporary Judaism
March 2 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
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.
Introduction to Judaism with
Rabbi Adam Wright
March 2 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Temple Emanu-El
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.
JewCurious?
March 3 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
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!
Should You Give Away Your Stimulus Check?:
A Torah Study with Joseph Gindi of the AJWS
March 3 @ 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
Join us for a conversation and Torah study with Joseph Gindi, Senior Program Officer for International Education and Jewish Engagement at American Jewish World Service. We’ll ask “in the context of a global pandemic, should you give away your stimulus check,” and discuss new ways to think about charitable giving.
Sisterhood Passover Cooking Demo
March 7 @ 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
Join Sisterhood for a Cook-A-Long demonstration of two beloved Passover recipes; Natalie Sikora’s famous carrot kugel and Jan Hirsch’s delicious “matzah crack!” Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator, Margaret Norman, and Jan Hirsch will be demonstrating these recipes and inviting participants to watch and learn or cook-a-long. Register in advance here to receive the recipes and a list of ingredients.
Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign Speaker Event
March 10 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The Birmingham Jewish Federation
Please join us for an intriguing and powerful evening featuring Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Palestinian who worked undercover for Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet from 1997 to 2007. The information Yousef supplied prevented dozens of suicide attacks and assassinations of Israelis, exposed numerous Hamas cells, and assisted Israel in hunting down many militants, including the incarceration of his own father, a Hamas leader, Sheikh Hassan Yousef. Yousef will help us understand Islamic ideologues and have hope for achieving peace for the region and subsequently for the world. Register here!
Community Program: Finding Refuge –
How the Dominican Republic
and Mexico Responded
March 11 @ 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Birmingham Holocaust Education Center
In July 1938, delegates from 32 countries, including the United States, met at the Evian Conference in France to discuss options for settling Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi Germany. The Dominican Republic was the only participating country that was willing to accept additional refugees. Why? What were the prospects for refugees seeking a safe haven in Latin America? This presentation will draw from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s archives to reveal how the Dominican Republic and Mexico responded to the events in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s regarding refuge for European Jews.
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.
|
|
|
|
The Birmingham Jewish Federation
@jewishbirmingham
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
