A Joyous Homecoming for Simchat Torah

From Steve Schwager, CEO

This week the Jewish world will observe the holiday of Simchat Torah, which celebrates the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and marks the immediate start of a new one. Literally translated as “Rejoicing in the Laws of the Torah,” the atmosphere in the synagogue during Simchat Torah is joyous; the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark and are lovingly carried around, accompanied by dancing and singing.

So I am pleased to share with you a JDC story about two very special Torahs that have found a “new home” at this auspicious time.

As you may know, unfortunately there has been a black market for many years dealing in the sale of stolen Torah scrolls. (A new Torah handwritten by a scribe can cost upwards of $50,000.) In the early 1990s, the office of the then Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, organized a “Torah Task Force” together with the Police Department and the New York Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) to investigate and crack down on Torah theft. They arrested several people; and in one such case, the DA offered to mitigate the recommended sentence for the mastermind of a Torah theft operation if he would hand over the stolen Torahs to the DA and to the police so they could be returned to their rightful owners. The thief tried to “pull a fast one” on the DA and brought in 10 Torahs, but good detective work determined that these were not the same 10 scrolls that were originally stolen. Never knowing the original home of these 10 Torahs, the DA was eventually handed a decision from the New York State Supreme Court that stated that these “homeless” Torah scrolls could be distributed to Jewish organizations and congregations designated by the JCRC.

Nearly 15 years later, this story has come to a happy ending just in time for Simchat Torah. The JCRC designated JDC as the recipient of two of these Torah scrolls, which we then had repaired over the summer. We identified two communities in Europe that needed new Torah scrolls: Sofia, Bulgaria and Belgrade, Serbia. In Sofia, the Torah will help replace scrolls stolen from the synagogue 10 years ago; the Torah traveling to Belgrade will be the first kosher Torah to be used since Yugoslavia was divided into five separate countries in 1991 and Jewish community assets were divided.

In a ceremony last week at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan widely covered by the media, the 150 year-old scrolls were handed over to JDC by Robert Morgenthau and current DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. Read about the event in The Daily News or click HERE (and watch below) to watch two short news clips from the New York affiliates of CBS and NBC.



While placing the Torahs into good hands is cause enough for celebration, there is an added dimension to this story for JDC: the thread of the Morgenthau family in rebuilding Jewish life around the globe. It was Robert Morgenthau’s grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., who in his service as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey cabled New York philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff in 1914 asking for $50,000 to feed starving Jews in then Ottoman-ruled Palestine. This marked the unofficial founding of JDC as an organization in that year. The original telegram is on display as part of the Morgenthau exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and a metal replica of the telegram hangs in the entrance of JDC Headquarters here in New York. And the rest, as they say, is history.

In his remarks at the event last week, Robert Morgenthau said: “I am humbled by my family’s role in the development of the JDC. Our family has witnessed its global good works for practically a century and it is hard to imagine an organization having more of an impact on world Jewry. The fact that these Torahs possess DNA with threads from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the JDC is unbelievably gratifying, and reminds us that the JDC’s work of saving Jews, work that began 96 years ago, is never complete and never more necessary.”

Participating in the ceremony last week were JDC Board members Alan Jaffe (who is both President of the NY JCRC and JDC’s Treasurer) and Ken Witover; as well as Gideon Taylor, JDC Associate Executive Vice President and Herbert Block, Assistant Executive Vice President, who worked with the DA, JCRC, the Jewish communities, and the relevant diplomats to make all of this happen.

Irv and I were very happy to learn that in a sweet final twist, the Torahs were accompanied in their travels by the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Serbian Foreign Minister, who were in New York last week for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. This “special delivery” will enable those Jewish communities to enjoy extra “simcha” (joy) on Simchat Torah. As this holiday marks the completion and immediate new beginning of reading the Torah, we are reminded of the cycle of JDC’s mission. Programs are completed; programs are beginning; and for as long as there are Jews around the world who need us, our work will continue.

Making a Difference in Ashkelon Through AMEN Youth Volunteering City

The ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore is a major partner and supporter of JDC programs in Ashkelon, Israel through the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership.  One program that has made a profound impact on the youth of Ashkelon is JDC's AMEN Youth Volunteering City program.  Since the program's inception in 2005, AMEN has created over 65 different volunteering programs for teens in the city.

Read more about AMEN in Ashkelon at The ASSOCIATED in Israel: AMEN and watch the video below of Erez Menashe, winner of the President's Prize for Volunteering, and chairman of the Youth Council in Ashkelon.  In the video Erez talks about how AMEN has had an impact on his life and how the support of the The Associated has allowed the AMEN program to grow in Asheklon. 



About AMEN:
The AMEN (Youth Volunteering City) program develops volunteerism and leadership capabilities among teenagers and young adults in Israel, including those from Israel’s most vulnerable communities. AMEN also aims to cultivate volunteerism and solidarity among the youth of Israel’s diverse groups, including Jews, Druze, and Bedouins.  It uses forums, training initiatives, and the development of attractive new frameworks to attract greater numbers of participants who want to help in meeting local needs.

More than 4 million volunteer hours have been contributed to local communities by some 50,000 youth through the AMEN Youth Volunteer City program. A staggering success, the program has raised youth involvement nationally, going from 10 percent to more than 50 percent in the pilot cities, and has set the stage for future volunteer efforts across Israeli society.

Rescued Torahs are Headed to Eastern Europe

Torahs rescued from pair of New York thieves bound for Eastern Europe

From the New York Daily News
BY Matt Bultman and Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

DA Cy Vance Jr. (r.) and Assistant DA Joel Seidemann with rescued
Torahs at sendoff.
Photo from NY Daily News website

Two torahs rescued from a pair of New York thieves are heading to Serbia and Bulgaria to replace scrolls stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

The 150-year-old scrolls were handed over Tuesday by the Manhattan district attorney's office to a rep from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, who will take them to synagogues in Belgrade and Sofia.

"These two Torahs will begin becoming trees of life for communities around the world and hopefully breathe life into communities decimated by Nazis," Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann said.

Each worth anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000, the Torahs wound up in the hands of prosecutors in the 1990s when they busted a Brooklyn burglar and a Diamond District silversmith who had been fencing stolen scrolls.

When prosecutors were unable to find the rightful owners of the two Torahs, they began looking for new homes for the refurbished scrolls in Eastern Europe, which has seen a rebirth of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

"I'm confident the Jews of Sofia and Belgrade will rejoice as they never have before when they welcome these Torahs next week," said former Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau, whose grandfather founded the JDC.

Read more at DNA Info, eJewish Philanthropy and JTA. 

SAVE THE DATE: JDC Ambassadors Circle Global Symposium

Join us for a day of high profile briefings on the status of Jewish communities around the world.

JDC Ambassadors Circle Global Symposium

Monday, December 13, 2010

New York City

Our keynote speaker will be Gideon Herscher, Director of Haiti Relief and Reconstruction Efforts. 

As emergency relief efforts in Haiti transition to longer term recovery, an on-the-ground presence will be critical in order to provide information on new directions, address emerging needs, and identify partnering opportunities.

In the midst of this chaos, Gideon Herscher relocated to Haiti for a period to serve as JDC's representative on the ground, overseeing and coordinating the organization's disaster relief and development efforts.

For the past 10 years, Gideon's main focus has been the developing and implementation of programs and partnerships for vulnerable populations in Israel, as well as overseeing a number of critical JDC programs in Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Gideon wrote a wonderful piece about spending Rosh Hashana in Haiti and the hopeful experiences that he encountered during his time there.  You can read it HERE.

Yom Kippur in 1945

Stanley Abramovitch, a true JDC Hero who worked for JDC for 63 years is featured today on CNN's Belief Blog.  Stanley started his career with JDC working in the displaced persons (DP) camps following World War II and in this article, he talks of the Yom Kippur he spent at a DP camp in Landsberg in Bavaria, Germany in 1945, the first Yom Kippur following liberation for the camp's inhabitants.



Stanley Abramovitch (seated, second from right) with JDC staff
at a German displaced persons camp circa 1945.

 Read the full story at the CNN Belief Blog. 

The JDC Ambassadors Circle would like to wish you G'mar Hatima Tova, a happy and healthy New year and an easy fast.  May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.

Teaching Literacy: One Ethiopian-Israeli Girl's Metamorphosis

JDC’s Parents and Children Together (PACT) program for Ethiopian-Israeli children works to enhance their literacy skills and educational performance to improve their academic success by addressing the unique cultural and language barriers they face. Today, 11,000 children and their families benefit from PACT thanks to partnerships with some 17 North American Federations and additional support from JFNA’s Network of Independent Communities.

Avia, an Ethiopian-Israeli from Beit Shemesh, is a JDC success story: with the help of PACT, she will enter first grade on par with her veteran-Israeli peers.

When she entered kindergarten last fall, Avia was shy and withdrawn, hesitant to make eye contact with her classmates or teachers. She was hampered and embarrassed by her limited Hebrew vocabulary. The school’s PACT literacy specialist had seen behavior like Avia’s before and knew the little girl would need special encouragement and reinforcement both at home and in school if she was to flourish.

The specialist invited Avia’s mother to meet with her at the kindergarten, and showed her how to use a variety of language enrichment tools and games that were designed to help children like Avia. Over the next several months, Avia’s mother took home new educational games each week to play with her daughter; this helped enrich Avia’s language skills and enhanced her self-esteem. Their mother-daughter playtime together had the added benefit of strengthening their relationship.

Avia soon began to blossom, becoming eager to learn and to interact with others. She now enjoyed listening to stories, and became a lively and cooperative participant in all of the usual kindergarten activities. Thanks to the PACT literacy specialist’s perceptive intervention, Avia ended up achieving a great deal over the course of the school year.

Toward the close of the term, Avia surprised her teachers and friends by drawing a breathtaking picture depicting the lifecycle of a butterfly. When asked how she knew how a caterpillar became a butterfly, Avia responded: "The teacher read us the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carle), this year. I loved the story and remembered it, so I was able to draw the picture for my friends!"

As they looked at the beautiful sketch on display in a prominent place in the kindergarten, it was hard to tell who was prouder: once-shy little Avia, her mother, or her PACT mentor and guide.

Today, JDC’s PACT programs are helping Ethiopian-Israeli schoolchildren like Avia gain the education and culturally sensitive support they need for a bright and successful future.

Celebrating Jewish Culture in Slovakia

A new photo slideshow is up at the JDC website featuring Jewish education and renewal programs for children in Slovakia. 

Check out the entire slideshow on the JDC website.

Recipes from Around the World to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

Jews in India celebrate Rosh Hashanah
with local traditions and flair.
from JDC website

When it comes to food for Rosh Hashanah, most of us here tend to think about apples and honey.  And while this is a delicious snack to usher in a sweet New Year,  there are many wonderful food traditions from Jewish communities around the world for the holiday and we want to share some with you. 

This newest collection of holiday recipes include dishes from Argentina, Serbia, Tunisia, Ethiopia and more. 

Download these delicious recipes at the JDC website. 

You can also read about Rosh Hashanah traditions in India in this interview with Rosy S. of India's Jewish community.   

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JDC!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RALPH GOLDMAN!!

96 years +1 day ago, on August 31, 1914, Henry Morgenthau Sr., then U.S. ambassador to Turkey, sent an urgent cable to New York philanthropist Jacob Schiff, asking for $50,000 to help the Jews of Palestine (then under Ottoman Turkish rule), who were cut off from their normal sources of support by the outbreak of World War I. Within a month the money was raised and from that beginning, JDC was founded.

And 96 years ago today, Ralph I. Goldman was born in Ukraine. 

So, how are these two things connected?  

Ralph Goldman has been the very soul of JDC, helping to shape the organization into what it is today.  He served as Executive Vice President from 1976 – 1985 and from 1986 – 1988 and as Honorary Executive Vice President since 1988. 

Ralph has dedicated his life's work to Jewish communal service.  He has been a moving force in the establishment of many innovative social, educational, and cultural programs enriching life in Israel and throughout the Jewish world.  With JDC he was the driving force for our return to the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and in establishing our critical role in Israel.   

Learn about the role of JDC throughout the past 96 years at JDC Throughout the Years.   

And you can see some favorite photos of Ralph throughout the years at JDC: In Service. 

Ralph and past Ralph I. Goldman Fellows, June 2010