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September 2026

Welcome to Gesher (‘Bridge’ in Hebrew) – JCRC's monthly impact newsletter to keep you informed on our work and the challenges and opportunities before our community.

JCRC Staff Column

Helping our Jewish teens stand strong

At a challenging time, the JCRC Youth Fellowship gives teens the knowledge, confidence and tools to lead.

Sally Abrams and Holly Brod Farber

Directors of Judaism and Israel Education

It was Super Bowl Sunday 2026, just a few hours before kickoff. Twenty-seven Jewish high school juniors and seniors, gathered for a session of the JCRC’s Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership, watched an ad about antisemitism that would air later that evening.

A vigorous discussion followed. The ad focused on the importance of allyship – someone stepping in when another person is targeted. The teens understood that message, but their conversation quickly turned to another question: What about their own agency? What tools did they have to respond when they encountered antisemitism themselves?

Three of the Fellows decided on the spot: For their capstone project, they would make their own ad about antisemitism.

And so, they did.

Continue reading on TC Jewfolk

Upcoming Events

JCRC Annual Meeting Featuring Dara Horn

Wednesday, October 28, 7:00 pm

West Metro location

Free and open to the public

In celebration of JCRC of Minnesota and the Dakotas being featured in Dara Horn's new book, we invite you to hear from her immediately following the installation of our Fiscal Year 2027 board of directors.

Read Dara Horn's article in this month's issue of Hadassah Magazine, where she describes observing our Directors of Judaism and Israel Education, Sally Abrams and Holly Brod Farber, teaching the Jewish story in Minnesota classrooms. “It’s a maverick task, not just because there aren’t many Jews on the prairie, but also because almost no one else is doing it. And they’ve been doing it for over 20 years.”

Unveiling of Kindertransport History Bench

Tuesday, September 15, 12:00 pm

Barry Family Campus

JCRC and the Barry Family Campus invite you to attend the unveiling of a Kindertransport History Bench on our campus this meaningful installation event will include light refreshments and remarks including from Sandy Baron, daughter of a Kindertransport Holocaust Survivor.

Amy Fish Book Talk: One in Six Million

Thursday, November 19, 7:00 pm

Beth El Synagogue

JCRC, Beth El Synagogue and the Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society invite you to a presentation and moderated conversation with Amy Fish, author of One in Six Million, the story of a Jewish child left by the road side in 1942 and the genealogical search for her identity.

Books will be available for purchase at the event

Applications now open:

Foundations Course: Holocaust History & Pedagogy

September-October 2026, Tue & Wed evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM

Online and free for educators

Continuing Education Credits included

Preparing Minnesota educators to meet the 2026 Holocaust, Genocide of Indigenous Peoples, and Other Genocide Education mandate with historical accuracy, sound pedagogy, and instructional confidence.

Learn more and register

Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity & Leadership

For 11th & 12th graders

Rolling admission through September 24

$1000 stipend

A single school year program designed by JCRC to empower Jewish high school juniors and seniors to explore and embrace their history, develop leadership skills, and cultivate a deep sense of pride, meaning and joy in their Jewish identity. Upon successful completion, participants will earn a $1,000 stipend.

Learn more and apply

Ko'ach Advocacy Fellowship

For college students in Minnesota

Rolling admission through October 5

$1000 stipend

Fellows will build the skills, relationships, and Ko’ach (strength) to co-develop a shared advocacy agenda and gain practical experience engaging with campus administrators and political leaders. Upon successful completion, participants will earn a $1,000 stipend.

Learn more and apply

Advocacy

Twin Cities Jewish Community Awarded Nearly $300,000 to Expand Fight Against Antisemitism

Trending Now

One big thing we're focused on

A new school year: Our robust K-12 commitment to education and advocacy

A new school year and a new Holocaust Education Mandate and Ethnic Studies strand of social studies standards begin against a backdrop of rising antisemitism. How do we equip teachers to meet these requirements while confronting hatred and safeguarding the inclusivity and academic rigor of schools entrusted with educating our children?

Grounded in Jewish texts and our responsibility to protect the truth of the Jewish story from a sophisticated global campaign of distortion, here’s what we’re focusing on as 5787 and the 2026–27 school year begin:

Supporting Teachers

We’ve just launched an educator resource page with ready to download curricula and lesson plans to meet the new Holocaust Education mandate and Ethnic Studies requirements. Bookmark this as we’ll be continuously adding new materials.
We’re offering a variety of professional development opportunities for educators including:
Foundations Course : Holocaust History and Pedagogy
Customized training for your school leaders and staff
Power of Place: European Summer Institute for Holocaust Educators
Engaging classroom speakers on Judaism and survivors of the Holocaust

Supporting Parents

Report an incident and we will work as your advocate in educational spaces
Ask to see curriculum that will be taught to your child on any topics related to Jews and contact us if anything makes you feel uneasy or unsure.

Supporting Students

11^th and 12^th graders: Apply for our Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership
We're applying for funding to expand our Youth Fellowship impact into the public schools through teaching core concepts to Jewish Student Union groups
Read Dara Horn’s take on how our classroom presentations on the Jewish people, are what every student should encounter at scale across the country.

Our focus on K-12 will continue throughout the school year with new initiatives being planned to meet this moment. Join the conversation in the Schools group of our JCRC WhatsApp community.

Building Bridges

Recent impact highlights from JCRC

Education

St. Louis Park Schools invite JCRC to build greater understanding of Jewish students and families

Just prior to the school year, more than forty of St. Louis Park School District's senior leaders spent a morning with JCRC learning about Jewish history and practice and hearing directly from three parents about what daily school life looks like for a Jewish family. It was very moving and important foundational work to make sure Jewish kids are understood and supported.

Thank you to the Minneapolis Jewish Federation for sponsoring a synagogue tour and lunch at Beth El following the training.

Education

Interfaith Dedication at Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Opening

In commemoration of 9/11 the dedication of the new campus of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum took place in Little Falls across from Camp Ripley. Our work with the Minnesota National Guard over the years has connected us to the museum. Executive Director Randal Dietrich and Chaplain (ret.) Buddy Winn—the museum’s Docent Director—invited the JCRC and the Jewish community’s participation in the interfaith dedication activities on September 9. Thank you to Rabbi Alexander Davis for affixing the mezuzah on the doors of the museum.