One Global Jewish Family

From Steve Schwager, CEO

I share with you below e-mails from two young women—Lisa Kudish and Marcy Bass—who were involved in the Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans. Their story reminds us not only how we Jews yearn to care for our needy elderly as though they were our own grandparents, but also how the thread of interconnectedness binds us together as a global family. Years apart, both Lisa and Marcy had a common experience of being touched by an elderly woman half a world away; years later she is still being cared for by JDC.

Marcy Bass sent the following e-mail to Michael Novick, JDC’s Executive Director of Strategic Development.

Greetings from Atlanta! I thought you would be interested in knowing about a wonderful coincidence that happened at the Lion of Judah Conference last week. One of the last speakers at the Conference was Lisa Kudish, a young woman from Chicago now living in Miami. She shared her Jewish story, which included a trip to Minsk and St. Petersburg in 2006. She told us about a home visit to a woman who was homebound but who had touched her heart and who she still thought about 4 years later. She flashed a picture up on the screen—and my heart leaped—I recognized that face! I was almost certain that it was Seina Meerman!

At the end of Lisa's talk, I found her and told her that I had been in Minsk this summer and had visited Seina—and that she was still alive and still being cared for. Lisa burst into tears at the news and I promised to send her my pictures from our visit. I sent her the pictures when I got back to Atlanta and her response is below. Needless to say, we were all touched beyond measure by this coincidence. It once again brought home to us the magnitude and importance of the work the Joint does. I hope this story helps to remind you that you are touching lives not only in Minsk but all over the world.

My very best to all of you,
Marcy

When Lisa received the photos of Seina, this was her response to Marcy:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! I literally gasped when I saw the photo of you and Seina together—her face, I knew it instantly. And, it is virtually the same EXACT photo that I took with her (same position next to the bed, with a French-manicured hand giving her a gentle touch) that I have. I am attaching my photo, and you can look at it next to yours... if the face wasn't “proof” enough, the wallpaper is!

I am just blown away... I loved your presentation in its entirety. Reading about Seina, it was just stunning to see/hear someone telling the same story that I knew, the same person that I knew, and the same feeling that I knew... yes, she would be 85... she was 81 when we visited her in May 2006.

These pictures—seeing that she is still smiling and feeling cared for—I can't tell you what a gift that is to me. I am so grateful for you sending this.

Warmly,
Lisa

When Marcy sent the photos to Lisa, she, too, was confident that they had visited the same elderly woman. And she was thrilled to report that “Seina is alive and feisty, although still homebound and still completely dependent on the angels of the JDC.”

But the story doesn’t end there; Lisa then wrote to Michael Novick and added an interesting twist:

The world gets smaller by the minute. My sister Debra is very close with Eric, Jill, and Rebecca Schwager in Chicago and my father [David Kudish] knew Steve about 20 years ago. My own involvement has grown through National Young Leadership Cabinet, and it was on our 2006 Study Mission that I had the amazing experience of meeting Seina.

The story is not just shared between Marcy and me... the day before I spoke, there was a “Next Gen” breakout session at the Lion Conference, and one of the panelists was my dear friend, Stacy Siwak, from St. Louis. Stacy and I—along with one other Cabinet member—were the group of 3 to visit Seina in May 2006. During the breakout session, Stacy was asked what her “aha” leadership moment was... she and I had never discussed this since our visit, and she did not know that Seina would be referred to in my remarks. So when she answered the question, detailing our visit to Seina's apartment, recalling her tears of gratitude and smile in the most impoverished of circumstances, I welled up then... thinking “how amazing that this visit was so profound for us both.” The next morning, when Marcy approached me after my speech—it was just unreal.

Three young women—Marcy, Lisa, and Stacy—bound together by their devotion to the Jewish people and to one elderly Jewish lady in Belarus. Their collective, meaningful, first-person encounters with a JDC client personifies why Irv and I are committed to sharing JDC’s work with the Next Generation of Jewish leaders. And their story reminds us that wherever we live, however much time and geography may distance us, we are connected as one global Jewish family.

JDC Announces 2010 Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellows

New York, NY, November 23, 2010—The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) announced that Zev Nagel and Alejandro Okret have been awarded the organization’s prestigious 2010-11 Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship (RIG) in International Jewish Communal Service. This highly-coveted fellowship enables participants to engage in intensive grassroots service and program activity in a number of the more than 70 countries where JDC operates.

For information about the Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship and how to apply, please GO HERE

“We are incredibly proud that Zev and Alejandro – who embody the impeccable qualities we strive for in RIG Fellows – will take part in this life-changing opportunity in international Jewish service. We look forward to helping them further explore their passion and dedication to Jewish life and serving those in need," said JDC CEO Steven Schwager.

In his first placement, Okret will head to Israel to work on issues related to food security, including the regulation of food banks and harvesting of agricultural produce. Nagel will travel to Hungary to work on programs related to young European Jewish leaders and to provide help with conflict resolution training for local institutions.

The Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship(RIG), established in 1987, is named after JDC's honorary Executive Vice-President, who served as the organization's top professional leader and who proved to be instrumental in the establishment of the State of Israel. Fellows participate in JDC’s global programs through a range of unique assignments that respond to the changing needs of Jewish communities around the world.

AJJDC is looking for the best young Jewish thinkers and doers – writers, artists, policy shapers, business innovators, and community builders – to help influence the future of Jewish life and the world through the RIG Fellowship. Submit letters of intent by December 30, 2010 for the 2011-12 fellowship. Complete applications are due by January 15, 2011. For more information, visit www.jdc.org/ralph

Wizards in Moscow?

A funny anecdote from the blog, Blue Elf of JDC Jewish Service Corps member, Elizabeth Fine who is based in Moscow:

"I’ve been using google translate to translate office emails and other emails that I don’t understand. It’s not perfect, but it usually at least gets the point across. Here’s its translation of an e-mail regarding a broken elevator:

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday management caused the wizard to repair the elevator. Damage was abnormal. Today, again, a specialist in the diagnosis. We are asked to treat with understanding and Sorry for the inconvenience.

Hope that tomorrow will be able to detect damage.

I’m sure “wizard” wasn’t the right term, but I kind of love the idea of elevator wizards running around Moscow."

Read the original post here:
http://blueelf.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/of-wizards-and-other-magical-things/

JDC Dedicates Haiti’s First State-of-the-Art Rehab Clinic and Prosthetic Workshop



MDA therapist helps Oscar gain balance
and mobility with his new prothesis



PORT AU PRINCE, November 18, 2010 —For 23-year-old Oscar, an optimistic man with an easy smile, dreams of being a professional soccer player or a high-tech mogul all but vanished after losing his right leg during Haiti’s destructive earthquake. Today, Oscar and other earthquake victims have found hope at a newly dedicated rehabilitation clinic and prosthetic workshop developed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee together with Israel’s Magen David Adom and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital as well as the Haitian Red Cross and the HUEH (l'Hôpital de l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti). The modernized facilities are the first of their kind in Haiti.

[Read more of Oscar's story below]

“We’re proud that JDC, together with our local Haitian and Israeli medical partners, have been able to help ensure the recovery of Haiti’s thousands of amputees and others who desperately need these facilities,” said JDC CEO Steven Schwager. “Our work will impact generations to come and serve as an example of international cooperation in this devastated country.”

To date, hundreds of Haitian patients have already been treated and more than 70 prosthetics – which require long hours for fitting and manufacture – have been fitted. The newly renovated rehab clinic, which is based in the University Hospital’s pre-existing rehabilitation center, is staffed by rotating teams of Israeli orthopedic doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and prosthesis experts who work and train local Haitian physical therapists and a doctor being trained as the center’s director. The prosthetic workshop, donated by German NGO LandsAid, is used by amputees who have their prosthetics produced on site.

“To understand the overwhelming progress being made by Haitian patients here, you only need to look at the happy faces and pride of those who are now walking independently. We are grateful to JDC, Magen David Adom, Sheba Medical Center, and LandsAid for helping rehabilitate lives here in Port Au Prince,” said Dr. Alix Lassegue, Director of HUEH (l'Hôpital de l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti).

Yesterday’s dedication ceremony included guests from local Haitian, Israeli and international, high profile NGOs. In addition, Ambassadors, Health Ministry officials, and other top dignitaries from Haiti, Israel, and the United States were also present.

“The Jewish and Israeli response to the plight of the Haitian people has been outstanding and we are heartened by the outpouring of critical support and aid at this time. We are fortunate to have JDC – a steadfast partner in times of great disaster – stewarding this project, which is restoring health to many Haitians,” said Dr. Alex Larsen, Haiti’s Minister of Public Health and Population.

JDC’s non-sectarian disaster relief programs are funded by special appeals of the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors to JDC. JDC coordinates its activities in Haiti with the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli relief agencies, and the United Nations, and local Haitian NGOs. JDC relief efforts are part of its International Development Program (IDP), which provides immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters.

 

Walking—and Dreaming—Again in Haiti

Ever since Oscar was old enough to kick a ball across a dusty sports field in Port-au-Prince, his dream has been to play professional soccer—and also follow in the technological and philanthropic footsteps of his idol, Bill Gates. Those aspirations were very much alive for Oscar, now 23, in the moments just before the January 2010 earthquake tore through the walls of his three-story high school, killing all but two of his classmates. Oscar escaped with his life, but he lost 250,000 of his Haitian brothers and sisters—and his right leg—to one of this century’s worst natural disasters.

Oscar was sitting in economics class the morning of January 12 when the building started shaking violently, echoing sounds of falling debris and squeaking rebar. He saw the staircase and center of the floor collapse, swallowing dozens of his friends fleeing toward the exit door. Clinging desperately to the building’s external wall—the only one still standing—Oscar made his decision: he jumped out of the building to safety on the rumbling ground.

Oscar did not have time to react to the massive pillar that came crashing down on his leg. He spent the night pinned to the ground; 54 of his dear friends lay dead just a few feet from him. By the time his father reached and pulled him out of the rubble the next morning, Oscar was one of three survivors from his 12th grade class. His right leg was amputated two days later.

The first thing that went through Oscar’s mind when he saw his severed limb was that he would never play soccer again; he would never play on a team that made it to the national soccer championships like he did last year.

“I saw so many amputees after the earthquake that I was sure I would never walk again,” Oscar said with a soft and regal tone that belies his devastation. “I figured, if they don’t have legs, I, too, will never have a leg.”

But then Oscar was referred by a friend to the Haiti University Hospital, where top Israeli medical professionals from JDC field partner Magen David Adom (MDA)/Tel HaShomer Hospital fit him for a state-of-the-art prosthesis. Through intensive physical rehabilitation with Israeli specialists, Oscar stretched, worked on parallel bars, and learned how to take one step at a time—again. With sheer determination and grace that impressed the therapists, Oscar soon graduated from two crutches to one, and then began to walk independently.

“The idea that there were people who were going to take care of me—to get me a prosthetic and help me walk on my own—allowed me to dream again,” he said.

Surveying the destruction and poverty all around him, Oscar says he is “committed now more than ever to be like Bill Gates.” He is studying computer programming with the long-term goal of effecting meaningful change by bringing health and education to Haiti and the developing world at large.

Are YOU the next Ralph I. Goldman Fellow in International Jewish Service?

JDC is currently recruiting for the 2011 – 2012 Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship -- the premiere opportunity for engaging young Jewish leaders in the work of the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization.

Who?  JDC is looking for the best young Jewish thinkers and doers -- writers, artists, policy shapers, business innovators, and community builders -- there is no single profile that fits. We are looking for leaders in their field who have the promise to influence the future of Jewish life and the world.

What?  JDC’s Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship is a one-of-a-kind, paid, professional development opportunity to live and work in overseas locations where JDC is active and engage with the inner workings of the organization.

Where?  JDC works in over 70 countries around the world.

When? Fellowship begins in September 2011 with an orientation period at JDC’s headquarters in New York, continues with two or more overseas assignments, and concludes in New York in September 2012.

How?  Learn more at http://www.jdc.org/ralph/ Submit letter of intent to globalservice@jdc.org.

Deadline? December 30, 2010 to submit letter of intent.   January 15, 2011 to submit full application, including four references.

Qualifications? Master’s degree or equivalent; Professional achievement in the candidate’s chosen career; Exceptional leadership and communication skills; Strong interest in international Jewish affairs and public service.

Email globalservice@jdc.org to submit a letter of intent, or for more information.

There's an inspiring story in this week's Haaretz daily newspaper about a JDC program that helps Israel's Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) population gain employment and lift their families out of poverty. You can see the original at http://www.haaretz.com/themarker/haredim-moving-from-yeshiva-to-high-tech-through-the-army-1.322808 or read the text below:

Haredim moving from yeshiva to high-tech, through the army

By Ido Solomon

If it were only up to him, Meir, a 31-year-old ultra-Orthodox man from Bnei Brak, would dedicate his days to studying in yeshiva like his brothers and friends. Instead, every morning he gets up, puts on his air force uniform and travels to the base where he serves as a computer programmer.

His road from yeshiva to computers started four years ago. He'd been taught that his purpose in life was to study Torah, but the difficulty supporting his wife and two children pushed him to look for work. As someone whose education consisted mostly of religious studies, he found the choice of jobs open to him quite limited and the salaries low.

From friends, he heard about a program for Haredi employment run by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. There, Meir learned, he could study a profession while doing his army service - and not break any Haredi rules. "The decision to enlist wasn't trivial," said Meir. He consulted with his rabbi and wife, and concluded that if he wanted to raise a family it was the right thing to do.

While his initial motivation to enlist was financial, he later grew proud of his service. He says he is not looking for conflicts, so he doesn't make a show of his service in the ultra-Orthodox community. "But I have nothing to be ashamed of," he said.

"In my view, the added value - in addition to my acquiring a profession for life - is the feeling that I'm also helping reduce the polarization in society. We're like ambassadors to the community."

Brig. Gen. Amir Rogovsky, the deputy head of the Israel Defense Forces' Human Resources Branch, said the IDF has been suffering from a lack of manpower in technical areas for the past few years; the many reasons include a lower motivation among the public to enlist. To solve the shortage, the IDF developed a new service track in 2007 for the Haredi community, one that offers learning a profession and work experience within the greenhouse environment of the IDF.

Veterans of the IDF's exclusive technical units such as its central computer unit or intelligence fill many key positions in the Israeli high-tech world. In addition, the program's graduates receive assistance finding jobs when they finish their army service.

So far some 500 ultra-Orthodox soldiers have enlisted in a project called Shahar - the Hebrew acronym for "service for Haredim." All the soldiers are 22 or above and 70% are married. Half have children.

 

No Shabbats or tref

It's a good deal for both sides: The IDF gets motivated soldiers and the Haredim get to do service that fits their lifestyles. The staff is men only, the food is strictly kosher, the hours are 9 A.M. to 7 P.M., and the men don't serve on Shabbat or at night - unless there are operational requirements. They also have a daily Torah class under the supervision of the IDF rabbinate.

The original group in 2007 did basic training, then studied English and math, then took a course for professions such airplane mechanics and metalwork. The IDF decided to give the next group more challenging professions such as programming and quality assurance.

The program is run in conjunction with the JDC's TEVET (Fighting Poverty Through Employment ) project. The IDF put together special courses for the Haredim, and made up for students' lack of knowledge in areas such as math and English.

About 400 Haredim serve in various professions in computers and electronics, 35 of whom have already finished their two-year commitment and have signed on for longer. Seven are officers. Most of those who have finished their service have found jobs, half in their profession.

For now, women are not part of the program since most Haredi women of that age are married and have children.

Despite the project's success, many challenges remain. The most burning issue is that the Haredim are sometimes held back because of all the effort to make things easier for them.

"The Haredi soldiers don't remain on the base on Shabbat or at night ... but the commanders told us that a soldier who doesn't do such duty won't advance [professionally] because he lacks experience," said one of the heads of the program. He said they are now looking for ways to help the soldiers advance despite the limitations.

Of course, the biggest factor limiting the program's expansion is funding. Rogovsky said the IDF is on the verge of finalizing a government plan to encourage Haredim to join the workforce and enlist in the IDF. He said the Finance Ministry admits that the cost of a Haredi soldier's service is many times that of a regular soldier's, but there is still no agreement with the treasury on defraying these costs.

Most of the extra money goes to pay the higher wages needed to support a family. A regular soldier serving in a noncombat unit gets NIS 400 a month. Married soldiers, Haredi or not, get between NIS 3,000 and NIS 4,000 a month depending on how many children they have.

Other costs go for adapting the army experience for the Haredim, such as food with stricter kashrut supervision, which costs twice as much. Also, the Haredim spend a shorter time in compulsory service and more time in the higher-paying professional army.

As to why the IDF should invest so much in Haredi soldiers, Rogovsky said: "This is a national mission that the IDF has taken on, since it is impossible to be a people's army without relating to the people."

2009 JDC Annual Report with 2010 Highlights

Our 2009 Annual Report is now available on-line. 

When an elderly woman in Ukraine needs food…

When an Israeli father struggles to support his family…

When a Jewish community in Uruguay seeks strong leaders…

Read these and other stories of how JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, is there, impacting lives and rebuilding Jewish life around the globe.

JDC at the 2010 GA in New Orleans

If you plan on attending the 2010 JFNA General Assembly in New Orleans, don't miss out on these sessions and plenaries.

JDC at the 2010 JFNA General Assembly and International Lion of Judah Conference

Sunday, November 7
12:15-1:45 pm
Stay at Your Own Risk? Jewish Communities in the Face of Peril
(Session designed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)

Speakers:   
Betty Kane, JDC Board Member
Jordana Horn, Jerusalem Post
Amir Shaviv, JDC, Special Operations
Jorge Shulman, JDC Latin America


12:15-1:45 pm
Do Jews Help Non-Jews? Love Your Neighbor as Thyself

Featured JDC Speaker: 
Will Recant, JDC-International Development Program


12:15-1:45 pm
Israel's Economic Gap: How Investing in Social change in Israel Can Strengthen Your Community

Featured JDC Speaker:
Dan Ben-David, Taub Center for Social Policy Studies


8:00-11:00 pm
FILM SCREENING: After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United
(Foundation for Jewish Culture Film Festival is co-sponsored by Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues and the JFNA Social Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab Equality)

Speaker:
Roger Bennett, Documentary Filmmaker, After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United


Monday, November 8
10:45-12:00 pm
Overseas Plenary

Featured JDC Speakers:
Steve Schwager, CEO
Zsuzsa Fritz, JDC Hungary


4:00-5:30 pm
What's Jewish About Jewish Service Learning?
(Session designed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)

Speakers:
Rabbi Will Berkowitz, Repair the World
Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Yeshiva University
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Tufts University Hillel
Sarah Eisenman, JDC Next Generation and Service Initiatives


Tuesday, November 9
8:15-9:30 am
Creativity, Innovation, and Consciousness-Raising: New Approaches to Promoting the Strengths and Addressing the Needs of Individuals with Disabilities and their Families

Featured speaker:
JDC Board Member Jay Ruderman, President, Ruderman Family Foundation


8:15-9:30 am
Why Israeli Arabs are a Jewish Issue and What Federations Can Do to Ensure a Secure, Jewish and Democratic State of Israel
(Session designed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues)

Speakers:
Avishay Braverman, Ph.D. Minister of Minority Affairs, Government of Israel
Jeffrey Solomon, President, Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies


9:45-11:00 am
The Adventure of Venture Philanthropy
(Session designed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)

Speakers:
Stuart Brown, JDC Board Member
Laura Spitzer, JDC Global Resource Development
Reuben Romirowsky, UJA-Federation of New York
Shlomo Dushi, Sheatufim
Galina Leytes, Israel Strategic Alternative Energy Foundation


9:45-11:00 am
Responsible for One Another: Why Overseas Giving Matters Today
(Session designed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel)

Speakers:
Skip Schrayer, JDC Board Member
Violetta Shmulenzon, JDC, former Ralph I. Goldman Fellow
Joy Sisisky, JDC, former Ralph I. Goldman Fellow
Seth Cohen, JAFI,
Shlomit, JAFI


2:00-3:30 pm
Why Empowering Israeli Women—Jewish and Arab—Is Important to Building a Peaceful and Prosperous Israel
(Session designed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, which is co-chaired by JDC CEO Steve Schwager)

Moderator: 
Carol Smokler, Ph.D.  NWP Past President and Founding Chair, JFNA Social Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab Equality and Shared Society

Speakers:
Alisa Doctoroff, Chair, UJA Federation of New York and Member of JFNA’s Social Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab Equality and Shared Society
Ronit Segelman, Deputy Director, Parnership, Rashi Foundation
Vivian Silver, Co-Executive Director, Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development


Wednesday, November 10
8:45-9:45am, repeated 10:00-11:00am
From Crisis to Hope: Women on the Frontlines Share Their Experiences
(Session designed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)

JDC Speakers:
Irina (Ira) Lipsky, JDC represenative in Georgia, FSU
Anne Heyman, Founder, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda and
Nela Hasic, JDC, Regional Director of the Women’s Health Empowerment Program in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro

From Leslie's Laptop: Budapest and Prague

Leslie Dannin Rosenthal of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey recently traveled to Prague, Vienna and Budapest with her husband.  During their trip, the Rosenthals spent time with the Jewish communities in Budapest and Prague, wanting to see Jewish life in both cities as it is today.

One stop on their tour of Budapest was the JDC supported Balint House Jewish Community Center.  On her blog, From Leslie's Laptop, Leslie shares her impressions of the Balint House JCC in her post titled Matzah Balls in the Budapest JCC?

Leslie also recounts her time in Prague at Our History is Captured in the Sidewalks of Prague and Prague Part II.